UAE Witnesses Launch of 1st Eye Care Project in Metaverse

ShopDoc, an Indian health tech start-up, based in the United Arab of Emirates (UAE), partnered with Clear, the world’s first digital optical prescription, based in the US, to launch all-in-one eye care through the metaverse.

ShopDoc, through Clear’s algorithmic capabilities, will conduct eyeglasses prescription tests in the metaverse amid reports saying that the traditional eye test is expensive and inconvenient and takes much time.

The reports, made by the World Economic Forum, said 50% of people skip their recommended annual eye test, while about 2.5 billion do not have access to it at all.

The metaverse-based digital eye project is set to be launched in the UAE and India in the initial phases, with plans to expand to other countries later, according to Arab Business news.

In this regard, Founder of ShopDoc Shihab Makaniyil said through this partnership, this innovative project will replace the traditional eye tests by using state-of-art optical modeling and frontier mathematics to get an accurate calculation and simulation of customers’ optical prescriptions and 20/20 visual performance.

However, Makaniyil pointed out the eye test project will not be fully in the virtual world, unlike the other metaverse projects.

“Though we will be introducing the digital eye test through the metaverse, it will not be done 100 percent in the metaverse. It will take customers to a normal web environment where they need to use a computer and get their eye tests done, following certain instructions on the screen to complete the process,” he told Arab Business.

He also added that this ground-breaking venture would make the eye tests affordable, accessible, and enjoyable for customers in addition to turning the focus of eye care from reactive to proactive.

ShopDoc, which has over 100 eye clinics in the UAE, plans to launch various such projects. It is worth mentioning that Clear is founded by former NASA optical physicist Brandon Zimmerman.

Last year, the Indian tech start-up collected $1.36 million in seed funding from investors in the UAE.

A metaverse is a network of three-dimensional virtual environments focusing on social interaction. It may be characterized as a digitally simulated world. It utilizes blockchain, augmented reality, and virtual reality (VR), combined with social media principles, to develop venues for extensive user communication that imitate the real world.

The Metaverse is an encompassing word for technologies that aid in creating a whole digital world similar to the real one. This universe can be incredibly comprehensive and encompass a broad range of various planets, sometimes referred to as virtual environments.