"There are dozens of inexpensive ways to buy glasses online today, but getting a new eyeglass prescription is as old-school as ever," said Devindra Hardawar at Engadget. Smart Vision Labs wants to help those of us with imperfect vision to bypass the arduous process of booking an eye exam with a self-guided, smartphone-powered vision test. With SVOne Enterprise, eyeglasses stores can administer eye exams without keeping an optometrist on staff.

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Guided by a smartphone app, patients take the exam by looking into a specialized eyepiece known as an autorefractor, which bounces a laser off of the retina as the smartphone’s camera takes several photos. The results are then sent to a remote eye doctor who approves the final prescription. "You can then download the prescription at any time and take it to the glasses retailer of your choice."