Engineers at the University of Washington have for the first time used manufacturing techniques at microscopic scales to combine a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights.
“Looking through a completed lens, you would see what the display is generating superimposed on the world outside,” said Babak Parviz, a UW assistant professor of electrical engineering. “This is a very small step toward that goal, but I think it’s extremely promising…”
“People may find all sorts of applications for it that we have not thought about. Our goal is to demonstrate the basic technology and make sure it works and that it’s safe,” said Parviz, who heads a multi-disciplinary UW group that is developing electronics for contact lenses.
Who will these be developed for, first? Gamers or the military?
It must feel like an Alienware Curve wrapped around your head.
How cool: Terminator Eyes!
It should be easier to cheat on a test in school with one of these things.
[Cripes! – ed.]
How long before we can buy these? When will the Chinese have them in production so I can get mine at Wall-Mart.
Who will these be developed for, first? Gamers or the military?
The porn industry.
Hmm, these remind me on an old Science Fiction book by Jack Vance. You put lens in your eyes and everything appears sooo much better. Just think if, instead of your 45 year old wife, you were gazing at a 22 year old super model!
Would be great for the military, if it was safe to use contacts at all in the field. Far too easy to get eye injuries from :
Wearing too long
Nearly impossible to maintain cleanliness needed
Too easy to lose
No good time to take them out/put them in
All of that is why we get free laser eye surgery.
A variable focus lens can now be implanted in the eye. It takes about eight minutes per eye and there are no stitches. They make a small incision in the eye lens, suck out the contents and slip in the new lens. You can go out to dinner the same day. If this new electronic lens were to be implanted…
I hope the circuits in these lenses aren’t powered by Sony-made lithium ion batteries.
First application is for news gathering and for investigations.
Could you imagine having one when going to Myanmmar or into companies that are hiding dangerous practices? Better than even micro cameras.
Cursor_
8. The downside: They’re connected to two coppertop C cells, one in each hand.
RBG