SAN FRANCISCO—EyeQue, which develops at-home vision tests for smartphones, said this week that its PDCheck tool, a convenient method for measuring pupillary distance (PD), is now available on Kickstarter. PDCheck uses a patented method, combining a unique set of eyeglass frames and a smartphone app that uses image processing to calculate the PD, according to the announcement. PD is a number that’s critical for consumers to order accurate-fitting eyeglasses, yet often not included in an eyeglass prescription.

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects, ranging from film and music to games and design.

“The online eyeglass market is exploding given benefits like extensive selection, dramatic cost-savings and zero sales pressure,” EyeQue co-founder and chief operating officer John Serri said in the announcement. “Our at-home vision tests, the Personal Vision Tracker and VisionCheck, are empowering people to get new eyeglasses based on their latest required lens power. Our latest product PDCheck offers an extremely low-cost, highly accurate method for getting your PD—avoiding the discomfort, blurry vision, and headaches that come from using eyeglasses with an inaccurate PD number.”

PDCheck adds to EyeQue’s product portfolio, which is designed to give consumers access to affordable, accurate vision care technologies to test their vision and obtain actionable results, the announcement noted. Consumers are able to create and preserve their own digital vision history to track changes in eyesight over time.

PDCheck can be pre-ordered until Feb. 6 on Kickstarter at pledges up to 50 percent off the suggested retail price of $12.99, the company said. It also will be available for purchase directly from EyeQue at eyeque.com beginning in February.

PDCheck is also included free with the purchase of EyeQue’s VisionCheck, which the company calls the “first fully automated, mobile refractometer enabling adults (18+) to self-administer a vision refraction test and generate the lens power required to order corrective eyeglasses online.

VisionCheck is a CES 2019 Innovations Honoree in the Tech for a Better World category.

According to EyeQue’s announcement, the mobile app for PDCheck is free to download and compatible with most Android and iOS phones. The consumer snaps a selfie, or has a friend take the photo, while wearing the PDCheck frames, which are etched with T-marks to provide a stable reference point. The mobile app uses image processing to find the center of both eyes and the calibration marks on the frames, determining the PD to an accuracy of +/-1mm.