Researchers devise contact lens with built-in LCD (video)

Researchers devise contact lens with built-in LCD (video)

Another day, another step towards technologically tricked out contact lenses. The latest development comes from researchers at the Centre of Microsystems Technology at Ghent University, who've developed a prototype lens with an embedded, spherical curved LCD that isn't limited to a paltry amount of pixels. As opposed to LED-based solutions which could only muster a few pixels, the newly-developed screen can pack enough to display graphics that cover a contact. In its current form, the display can show simple patterns, and demonstrates the technology with a simple dollar sign. What appears on the lens wouldn't be visible to folks who wear it, however, since eyes can't focus at such a close range. Despite the limitation, researchers are trying to tackle the focusing issue and are assessing the feasibility of a version that would effectively act as a heads-up display. In the future, the tech could be leveraged for medical purposes, such as controlling light transmission to the retina when the iris is damaged, cosmetic uses and -- you guessed it -- HUDs. With the technology's foundation established, it's expected that real-world applications are potentially a few of years away. Hit the jump to catch a video of the tech in action.

Continue reading Researchers devise contact lens with built-in LCD (video)

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Via: Liliputing

Source: Imec

Contact Lens Contains Embedded LCD

Who hasn’t dreamed of having heads-up display screens directly embedded into their eyes? I guess years of playing Cyberpunk 2020 and reading science-fiction novels have made this a fixture in most settings. While it won’t make readable contact lens displays feasible any time soon, it looks like scientists have actually been able to make contact lenses with embedded LCDs.

lens contact belgian IMEC

Belgian researchers at IMEC were able to create an LCD-embedded contact lens in a working prototype. This LCD display is curved so that it fits the eye. For now, the lens can display rudimentary monochrome graphics, and their images can only be viewed by others, not by the wearer due to the eyes inability to focus on objects so close. However, there are applications where these could be useful. They could work like sunglasses by automatically darkening, as cosmetic enhancements by changing colors, or as an artificial iris.

Now, if they could only figure out the focusing issue, we could someday be walking around like human Terminators.

[via Phys.Org via Ubergizmo]