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European optician chain

Building a Business-Critical AI App in 7 Weeks

Overview

intive designed and delivered a business-critical AI-powered iPad app for an optician chain in under seven weeks – in time and budget with no compromise on quality. The app enables precise eyewear measurements using computer vision, significantly reducing errors and streamlining the customer experience across all the chain’s locations.

Client

The client is leading European optician chain with a large network of branches and hundreds of employees. Known for personalized, high-quality vision and hearing care, the company has a long history of serving customers and generates significant annual revenue.

Services

AI & Computation

Solution Design & Architecture

Mobile App Development

Backend & Cloud

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The Challenge

When the client first contacted intive, they were racing against the clock. Their legacy glasses measurement solution had to be replaced immediately due to licensing issues and technical limitations. They needed a new strategy – fast. This replacement had to be precise, user-friendly, and tailored for professional staff working across dozens of locations. Accuracy was crucial, because even small measurement errors could cause unhappy customers and expensive remakes of produced glasses.

A High-Stakes Project with a Tight Deadline

We were initially brought in for our AI and computing expertise, but quickly saw the bigger picture: the need for a complete end-to-end solution. Off-the-shelf hardware options were extremely expensive, so we proposed to build and launch a custom, AI-powered app. The challenge was ambitious: the app needed to outperform the old system, cut costs, integrate smoothly into daily workflows, and leverage AI intelligently– all without disrupting ongoing operations. 

And the deadline? Locked in at 7 weeks. We accepted the challenge.

Our solution

At the heart of the client’s glasses measurement app is AI-powered image recognition and precise mathematical 3D modeling. We trained three separate machine learning models – to detect facial markers, photogrammetry markers, and recognize glasses frames. The target was sub-millimeter accuracy, and we hit it. Even with standard iPad 8 and 10 cameras, we achieved precision down to 1/10 of a millimeter by accounting for distortion, reconstructing the camera position and applying advanced 3D geometry.

Designed for Experts, Built for Precision

The app was tailored for trained professionals at the optician chain’s branches, who benefit from features like tips for iPad positioning and real-time image feedback while measuring clients’ glasses. AI handles marker placement with sub-pixel accuracy and detects features like the iris using contrast enhancement. Employees can easily check tilt and rotation indicators (to ensure accurate angles), capture optical correction data, and fine-tune alignments. In short, accuracy  was prioritized at every step.

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Native iPad OS & Scalable Backend

Since the client had already standardized on iPads, we went all-in on native iPad OS development to ensure application performance with local AI and long-term maintainability. The device-based AI makes the app highly performant and budget-friendly, as it doesn’t generate any external running costs. On the backend, we used Firebase (Realtime Database, Cloud Storage, Authentication) to stay lean and cost-effective. What’s interesting: about 40% of the final app was made up of reusable components. This gave us a big head start and helped ensure quality and speed from day one.

Agile in Action

This project didn’t follow the traditional playbook. We skipped rigid planning and kept the process flexible and communication-driven. Using a lean Kanban board, weekly check-ins, and quick messaging, we moved fast. Over a 7-week sprint, we released 18 versions, each shaped by real-time feedback. Dedicated user testing sessions right before launch gave us invaluable insights, leading to important feature adjustments and UX improvements. Together with the client, we adapted our own lightweight framework that fit this fast-paced, high-pressure situation  – and it worked.

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This project revealed a bigger opportunity beyond the immediate fix: many other opticians face the same challenge. Now, the optician chain is exploring a multi-tenant version of the app to serve a wider market – and we’re eager to help them turn that vision into reality.  

At its core, this project was more than just a product delivery. It was a fast-paced collaboration built on trust. We focused on creating a practical, AI-powered solution that drives real business value. The app replaced expensive hardware, saving major costs, and the client’s team enjoys how intuitive and reliable it is.

The results speak for themselves: this solution is vastly superior to the previous one, with significantly fewer measuring errors. It’s also the preferred choice of one of the client’s key partners, who tested multiple options before selecting this app.

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