New technology to take center stage at Vision Expo 2026

As the top players in eye care technology and innovation gather for Vision Expo 2026, emerging devices in the industry will be on display in the form of demos and showcases. Here are a handful of showcases and demos for new technology that we know will be happening thus far at the conference, which runs from March 11-14 in Orlando, Florida. A full schedule of technology demos can be found on the conference’s website.

Sightview

Sightview announced it will showcase 2 recently updated tools for its eyecare-specific electronic health record and practice management (EHR/PM) platform at Vision Expo 2026. The updates include new digital payment options and an updated communications package designed to support patient outreach and engagement, according to a news release.¹

“Patients increasingly expect a digitally-driven experience with eyecare, specifically in optometry, where they want a retail experience alongside their clinical care,” said Tycene Fritcher, CEO of Sightview, in the release. “From tapping their phone to pay for their lenses, to automated text reminders, eyecare providers have an opportunity to modernize processes to improve patient loyalty and experiences, while streamlining backend processes, as well.”

The company’s Sightview Pay solution, powered by Global Payments, allows providers to collect payments before appointments or at the time of service through digital options such as estimated payments, text-to-pay, and card-on-file. According to the company, these options are intended to help practices collect payments more quickly while reducing paper-based billing.¹

Sightview also highlighted its Patient Engagement system, which enables practices to automate and personalize patient outreach. The platform includes templates for annual reminders, lens promotions, and automated post-service or post-delivery check-ins, with the goal of increasing appointment volume and maintaining patient communication without adding additional administrative workload.¹

Sightview said it will demonstrate the updated tools at booth #4021 during the event alongside its integrated EHR/PM platform developed specifically for eyecare practices.¹

Heru

Heru announced it will showcase PretestPro on its wearable diagnostic platform at Vision Expo, where the company will exhibit at booth #2138. Heru stated in a news release that the new pretesting tool can run a pretest exam in under 2 minutes.²

“PrestestPro isn’t just a faster test. It is a fundamentally different way to structure the diagnostic workflow,” said Mohamed Abou Shousha, MD, PhD, founder and CEO of Heru and associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in the release. “Traditional pretesting requires multiple devices and several manual steps. PretestPro consolidates these tests into a single wearable exam that runs about 3 times faster than traditional testing. The result is higher throughput for clinics, stronger clinical confidence for doctors, and a premium, modern diagnostic experience for patients.”

According to the company, PretestPro is built on 15 years of vision science research and clinical validation work originating at Bascom Palmer. The system uses virtual reality (VR) and eye tracking to conduct multiple tests in a single guided workflow. Patients maintain fixation using Nora, Heru’s fixation target.²

The pretest includes four eye exams: an 8-point confrontation visual field (VF), near cover test, extraocular motility (EOM), and quantitative pupillometry.²

Heru said its portable platform digitizes and automates manual eye tests and can be worn in various settings, including pre-test areas, waiting rooms, or remote locations. An AI-driven “virtual technician” guides patients through testing modalities that may include PretestPro; visual acuity testing; Firefly confrontation VF; suprathreshold VF; full threshold VF 24-2, 10-2, and 30-2; Esterman VF; Ishihara color vision testing; near and distance cover tests; quantitative pupillometry; and EOM.²

References:

1. Sightview unveils fresh patient engagement tools at Vision Expo 2026. News release. Businesswire. March 10, 2026. Accessed March 11, 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310220460/en/Sightview-Unveils-Fresh-Patient-Engagement-Tools-at-Vision-Expo-2026

2. Heru showcases PretestPro for the Heru VR-powered diagnostic headset at Vision Expo. News release. Heru. March 12, 2026. Accessed March 12, 2026.