Ahead of the recent Formula 1 Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Shamir gave a select group of journalists a rare insight into the visual needs of the BTW Alpine F1 at the European launch of its Shamir Driver Intelligence lenses.
BTW Alpine F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer and driver, Pierre Gasly, outlined how Shamir assessed the visual needs of each member of the team and provided them with an improved solution.
As the team’s optical performance partner, Szafnauer said Shamir provided new safety eyewear for the pit crew, set distance glasses for teams on pit wall computers and protective eyewear for aerodynamicists in the team’s wind tunnel.
The relationship with the team also bore fruit in the collection of data for the Driver Intelligence lenses. Professional drivers from BTW Alpine’s sportscar racing series had their eye and head movements tracked during circuit driving to establish visual behaviour patterns.
Similar research was carried out with ‘everyday’ drivers on public roads and more than 200 scenarios were assessed in 80 different vehicle types with drivers of all ages and genders.
The artificial intelligence used in the lens had more than 14 million gaze points that could be assessed and allowed Shamir to optimise certain parts of the lens according to the driver’s data.
Shamir Driver Intelligence lenses will be available from July as part of a two-lens package. A Tried & Tested will be published in a future edition of Optician.