Sydney student Allen Liao offers unloseable eyeglasses
Sydney student Allen Liao offers unloseable eyeglasses Dan Dimmock/Unsplash

An enterprising Australian student has developed a pair of "unlosable" eyeglasses. He got Silicon Valley's support and co-founded Tzukuri in Sydney in December 2013. Now his innovation is set to see more countries outside Australia.

Allen Liao, who hails from Sydney's eastern suburbs, figured out the need for this innovation after misplacing a friend's pricey eyewear. Liao's line of Tzukuri sunglasses combines Apple's iBeacon technology with the world's smallest solar panel. It allows the eyewear to be easily tracked via an iPhone app. Every pair uses Bluetooth low energy that can be charged by solar power. Using the app will not easily drain the user's iPhone's battery.

The innovation is made in Sydney from cellulose acetate, a 100 percent renewable and recyclable natural biopolymer manufactured from cotton and wood pulp. The eyewear has been described in social media as cool and impressive.

Liao and Tzujiri co-founder Michael Sutton, after all, spent much time improving the design, look and feel of their eyewear offering, enough for discerning buyers to say that they have done a great job.

The early buyers bought the eyewear for a little over $330. The price of the high-tech and unique pair of spectacles later jumped to around $450. Liao and his business partner now intend to open three pop-up stores in a few months. He is also at selling 13,000 pairs of glasses in Australia alone.

The wearable tech that evidently appeals to young and old can also notify people when they have moved about 16 feet away from them. The notifications increase as the owner moves farther away.

Other factors that were considered by the creators of the eyewear are safety (all the electronic components were custom-made to NASA-level safety standards by a California firm) and high heat tolerance, News Corp Australia reported. The glasses have batteries of a very special chemistry called silver zinc oxide, delivering juice that will last 30 days of on a single charge.

It did not take long for the product line to get strong backing from technology titans, notably from Apple. Liao revealed plans to bring the product to New Zealand and Asia Pacific and then focus very closely at the United States and Europe, Brisbane Times reported.

As with most startup ventures, Liao and partner encountered challenges. "The entrepreneurs' passion and determination saw them through.

Liao enlisted the help of eight people to design and create the tiny electronics, new manufacturing processes and sophisticated software necessary to turn the unique business idea into reality.

VIDEO: Tzukuri 'Unloseable' Eyewear

Source: Tzukuri