Who hasn’t felt a little paranoid, worried about some unseen threat lurking behind them? Who hasn’t dreamed of having chameleon eyes, able to turn 180 degrees, when entering their phone PIN or credit card code?
To find out what is cowardly going on behind their back, everyone is reduced to glancing over their shoulder. This is not perfect because when you turn your head, you can no longer see threats coming from the front (and they are at risk of stiff neck)!
What if your glasses let you see behind you? This astonishing idea has been patented by Joseph A. Freed in 1969 in the United States (US Patent 3423150). It describes eyeglass frames equipped with small, adjustable rearview mirrors, fixed on each side, like on cars, allowing you to see behind you without turning your head.
The principle of the invention? The two small mirrors are placed on adjustable supports and the user can adjust their position as needed to monitor what is happening behind him, while maintaining perfect vision in front of him. A sort of button on each temple of the glasses allows for easy adjustment of the mirror by sliding it. The patent also provides for a flashlight to be added, allowing for illuminating objects in the rear (as everyone knows, real threats are both behind you and in the dark). A perfect mechanical object, with no electronics needed!
Who might find this useful, are you probably asking? According to the inventor, these glasses are perfectly suited for soldiers during military action, since they need to cover their backs, but also for pedestrians and joggers who want to cross a street and remain aware of their environment, or finally for people in “dangerous professions” like detectives, or secret agents.
Note that today some cyclists use helmets or glasses equipped with a single-sided rearview mirror, but this remains little known to the public and more practical than Mr. Freed’s invention.
