October 2017

 

 

This September, Zeiss had invited me for their “The future of Optics” event in Berlin, Germany.  Prior to the event, our group was treated to a tour of the Zeiss headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, the Zeiss Museum, and Mercedes Benz Museum.

I can not begin to express the amount of knowledge I gained from this experience, the friendships made, and the fun I had!  Check out the post for all the details.

 

Zeiss Headquarters:

On September 26, 2017 our group of about 25 people from all over America, including opticians, optometrists, office managers, and business owners were taken to the Zeiss Headquarters in Oberkochen, Germany.  It was here that our tour leader explained the cutting edge techonolgy that Zeiss has been working on, not only in the optical field, but across the medical field.

One of my favorite machines that I encountered there was the automated Optometry lane. The automated Optometry lane is designed for accuracy and efficiency.  Who doesn’t want their exams to be shorter and more accurate?? I know I do.  The less time spent in the chair, the more time the doctor has to educated the patient and develop a relationship with them.  I can not wait to open my own practice and incorporate a Zeiss automated lane.

Zeiss Museum:

After a nice lunch at headquarters, where it seats 2000 employees and has everything and anything you can think of to eat, we headed to the Museum.  Taking a trip thru history at the Museum was wonderful.  Zeiss is one of the founding fathers of microscopes, telescopes, camera lenses, and film. Oh ya, and glasses lenses!  Here we found antique glasses and telescopes, some of which I wish I could take home with me.  We also saw a replica of the Zeiss camera that was used to take pictures from the first voyage on the moon.  The original is still up there.

 

The future of Optics Event:

After our tours were finished in Oberkochen, Germany, us jet- setters headed to the airport to continue our experience in Berlin, Germany.

 

On September 27, 2017 a group of 400 guests were invited by Zeiss for “The future of Optics” experience.  We were bused to a secret location where the first floor was an open floor plan which consisted of coffee stations, food stations, an actual race car track, a massage area, and technology innovation areas.  After about an hour of exploring on our own an acrobatic show started in the middle of the floor plan, which then led us upstairs to a room that was surrounded by acoustics.  We were greeted there by live instrumental performers and distinguished members of Zeiss.

From there, the 400 guests were subdivided into smaller groups and we all were able to experience the wonders that Zeiss has to offer.  Among those is the Zeiss EnergizeMe Spectacle Lenses, which I found to be most useful for my patients who are on the computer.  The lens is unique in that it reduces eye strain, is helpful for near distances, and has a built- in coating to prevent harm from electronical blue light.

 

Another topic that I found interesting was that of future trends, which explored the idea of “smart glasses.”  Basically, “smart glasses” will connect our digital world with our reality, something to look forward to.  Along those lines, we had a chance to ride a rollercoaster with virtual reality glasses and I may or may not have screamed the loudest while on it.

Once the event was finished, we were whisked away in boats, yes, boats! to our hotel to change and start the evening with a show at the planetarium and then to dinner and a theatrical show.  The night was finished off with a party on the 37^th floor overlooking the city of Berlin into the wee hours of the morning.

 

 

 

I am truly honored to have been invited to such an amazing experience.  Zeiss had thought of every single detail to make the event extra special and memorable for its guests, just like the thought and precision they put into their products for hundreds of years.