The Bionic Contact Lens Technology

Creating Human Reality Changing Possibilities

Bionic Contact Lenses Video

      In 2008 scientists at the University of Washington have created the bionic engineering technological advancement of the prototypic bionic contact lens. These bionic contact lenses are flexible lenses with imprinted electronic circuitry, sensors and LED lights. They are designed to have the desired effect of acting as active contact lenses that aid and monitor health problems, as well as furthering human abilities, all while augmenting reality to enhance the human experience of daily life. These lenses consist of the abilities of: augmenting virtual reality, enhancing visual abilities, eliminating visual deficits in sight, and monitoring biological conditions.

These bionic contact lenses consist of bionic active contact lenses that have the projected ability to create an augmented reality by superimposing computer images as a visual display onto ones natural view. Examples of virtual display would include: drivers or pilots being able to see a vehicle's speed projected onto the windshield, video-game companies able to use the contact lenses to completely immerse players in a virtual world without restricting their range of motion, and people would be able to surf the Internet on a midair virtual display screen that only they would be able to see. Instead of having to use Google Earth or Global Positioning System (GPS) through a computer or Smartphone, this information could be projected directly into ones eye and natural view of vision. It could give an individual the ability to see a strangers Facebook profile in their stream of vision when sitting right next to them or a review of a restaurant while outside of it so can decide whether want to go in.

     Babak Parviz, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, proposed that miniature cameras with adaptive lenses can be incorporated with the bionic contact lens. These create the ability to zoom in and out, creating superhuman sight or bionic vision for all users. In addition, this technology is paired with sensors to monitor a users biological condition. The bionic contact lenses are able to monitor for such medical conditions as: cardiovascular disease, glucose levels for diabetes, presence of viruses and bacteria, and the condition of an individual’s eyesight. The collected information from this can be transmitted wirelessly to a computer for health practitioners to receive or for the purpose of gathering data. It is proposed that these bionic contact lenses can eliminate all eye problems (short and long sightedness) and blindness. This technology does not actually fix the medical visual problem biologically; rather it gives the individual the ability to overcome the problem by enabling them through the lenses to have proper sight. 

     

Researchers have solved the problem of powering the electronic circuitry of the bionic lens, so that instead of needing a battery that would contain harmful chemicals to the eye, the electronic circuitry instead harvests power from radio waves.  The LED lights are still an issue to be addressed, as they must be activated to be able to perform the virtual display aspects of the bionic contact lens described. The lenses have been activated for twenty minutes in rabbits safely with the rabbits showing no adverse effects; however have not been tested in humans thus far. The LED lights have not been activated in animals yet due to concerns for animal safety, but plans are in motion to do so once scientists can be precisely sure that it is safe.