A bionic contact lens is a proposed device that could provide a virtual display that could have a variety of uses from assisting the visually impaired to video gaming, as claimed by the manufacturers and developers. The device will have the form of a conventional
contact lens with added
bionics
Bionics or biologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.
The word ''bionic'', coined by Jack E. Steele in August 195 ...
technology in the form of a
head-up display
A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD () or head-up guidance system (HGS), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a ...
, with functional electronic circuits and
infrared lights to create a virtual display allowing the viewer to see a computer-generated display superimposed on the world outside.
Proposed components
An antenna on the lens could pick up a radio frequency.
In 2016, work on Interscatter from the University of Washington has shown the first
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
enabled contact lens prototype that can communicate directly with mobile devices such as smartphones at data rates between 2–11 Mbit/s.
Development
Development of the first contact lens display began in the 1990s.
Experimental versions of these devices have been demonstrated, such as one developed by
Sandia National Laboratories. The lens is expected to have more electronics and capabilities on the areas where the eye does not see.
Radio frequency power transmission and
solar cells are expected in future developments. Recent work augmented the contact lens with Wi-Fi connectivity.
In 2011, a functioning prototype with a wireless antenna and a single-pixel display was developed.
Previous prototypes proved that it is possible to create a biologically safe electronic lens that does not obstruct a person’s view. Engineers have tested the finished lenses on rabbits for up to 20 minutes and the animals showed no problems.
See also
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Augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality (MR), is a technology that overlays real-time 3D computer graphics, 3D-rendered computer graphics onto a portion of the real world through a display, such as a handheld device or head-mounted ...
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Google Contact Lens
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Heads-up display
A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD () or head-up guidance system (HGS), is any see-through display, transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of t ...
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Optical head-mounted display
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Smartglasses
Smartglasses or smart glasses are eye or head-worn wearable computers. Many smartglasses include displays that add information alongside or to what the wearer sees. Alternatively, smartglasses are sometimes defined as glasses that are able to c ...
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Visual prosthesis
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bionic Contact Lens
Contact lenses
Artificial organs
American inventions
Augmented reality
Bionics