Wearable technologies in ophthalmic care and visual science

Wearable technologies may enable eyecare practitioners to assess visual function, behaviour, environmental exposure, and treatment needs beyond the clinic. However, most applications require stronger clinical validation, usability evaluation, and evidence of patient benefit before routine implementation.

Wearable devices may extend ophthalmic assessment and support beyond episodic clinic visits by capturing visual behaviour, environmental exposure, task performance, and ocular or periocular physiological signals.

This scoping review mapped English-language publications from 2018 to 2025 concerning wearable device classes, ophthalmic applications, the analytical roles of artificial intelligence, evidence maturity, and barriers to translation.

Database searches identified 465 records; 310 remained after duplicate removal and were screened, 100 full-text articles were assessed, and 35 studies were included. Evidence was strongest for objective exposure monitoring in myopia research, headset-based assessment of visual function, and assistive technologies for people with low vision or blindness. Artificial intelligence was used mainly for temporal signal interpretation, multimodal integration, and real-time assistive feedback rather than autonomous diagnosis.

Most systems remain at the technical validation or early clinical feasibility stage. Broader implementation requires stronger analytical and clinical validation, patient-centred outcomes, regulatory planning, usability evidence, and safeguards for privacy and interoperability.