Who Needs an iPhone When You Can Have an Eye-Phone?

Apple’s revolutionary iPhone’s took the world by storm when it was released in 2007, and brought the world of internet and gaming to a simple, easy to use hand-held device. Consumers thought you couldn’t better the sleek technology, that this was the easiest it could ever get.

The latest in technology news has recently revealed that research and design is currently in place to create a contact lens that can be used to read text messages, emails and even view directions. Not only could this make finding and pulling out your phone to read your texts seem like an inconvenience, but it renders some of the iPhone, and other Smartphone’s, functions obsolete.

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While to us this might seem like something straight out a science fiction novel, when you consider the huge leaps that Smartphone technology has taken over the last 5-or-so years...is it really that unexpected?

The New Lens in Town

A team at Ghent University in Belgium have reached their first major milestone in the creation of a contact lens with an embedded spherical LCD.

It is proposed that this technology will let the wearer overlay computer generated visual information onto the real world in front of them. This means they will be able to read text messages, emails and follow directions that are projected onto their field of vision.

With these huge leaps in technology expected to be available on the consumer market within 5 years time, is it possible to think of a future without gadgets and gizmos? A future where all the information we need will just be displayed in front of our eyes as and when we want it?

Design Developments

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At the moment, the technology is only currently at 1 pixel for the device and “can only display rudimentary patterns, similar to an electronic pocket calculator” according to Professor Herbet De Smet. He, however, believes that this is proof that the concept works, and that his team will be able to move forward into the phase of the project in which multiple pixels will be produced in the device.

There are other possible applications for this contact lens technology that are also being explored, for both medical and recreational purposes. It’s possible that the contacts will be designed to fully cover the lens of the eye, and control light transmission towards damaged eyes. It would essentially work like a pair of sunglasses. Other developments plan to allow the wearer to alter the color of the contact lenses throughout the day.

Revolutionary Eye Wear Race

Eyewear has become a hot topic in the media throughout 2012 as scientists all over the world battle to be the first to design the technology that will win the revolutionary eyewear race. It began with Google’s Project Glass and has moved onto contact lens technology.

Earlier this year, Innovega announced their iOptik project which plans to use wireless transmission to project a fully augmented reality for the wearer of the lenses. There are many other designs that are currently being researched, from using contact lens technology to minimise the effects of sun glare, test blood sugar levels of diabetics, and track the eye movements of the wearer – with a view to aid communication with people with paralysis.

It’s expected that this technology will be available to the consumer market in less than 5 years time. When you consider the huge leaps in Smartphone technology over the last couple of years, it’s not difficult to believe that this may be the next generation of technology we use to communicate.

With all the current research and development into augmented reality technology, it certainly seems that the scientists think that’s the direction we’re heading in!

Steph McLean

About the Guest Author:

Steph McLean writes for Lenstore, an online contact lens retailer that sells popular brands such as Focus Dailies. She finds all the latest trends in technology fascinating and enjoys blogging about them.