(L-R) Vineet Chauhan, Nicola Patterson, Geraldine Booth, Tim Thurn, Larissa Brander, Guy Parbury, Jo Murray, Taryn Brown, Kurt Tyson and Stephen Locke at the Varilux XR launch in Auckland

The Varilux XR series, EssilorLuxottica’s first eye-responsive progressive lens powered by behavioural artificial intelligence (AI), is now available worldwide. Its researchers studied more than 6,500 consumers to understand presbyopes’ lifestyles and visual challenges, feeding these data into a behavioural modelling system to predicts how presbyopes look at objects around them, said the company.

"Thanks to the digital twinning technology, we can now establish a visual behaviour profile for every single prescription and provide the first eye-responsive lens that respects the natural behaviour of the eye,” said Norbert Gorny, Essilor co-chief operating officer. Varilux XR series wearers benefit from instant sharpness, even in motion, said the company, with up to 49% more vision volume compared to its Varilux X series. In independent, third-party tests, 87% of consumers, mostly wearing premium progressive lenses, said they preferred Varilux XR to their previous lenses, with no change in their prescription, said Essilor, adding 95% of wearers adapted to their new lenses within the first day.

Varilux XR is a semi-finished lens, with new in-lab processes and a sustainable delivery kit for consumers to reduce plastic consumption by 19% compared to Varilux X, plus a decrease of 6% in CO₂ emissions, said Essilor.

“We are very proud and excited to launch Varilux XR series because a new generation of Varilux is an important milestone for the whole industry as it has always set new standards in lens performance,” said Marco Caccini, general manager wholesale ANZ at EssilorLuxottica. “Varilux XR series is no exception and will offer practices the best opportunity to elevate patient satisfaction and exceed their expectations.”