Contact lenses with circuits - Terminator has competition

Researchers at the University of Washington have created a biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. They are hoping that this technology will be used in the future to create virtual HUDs (Heads Up Displays) superimposed on the real life images our eyes see.

These can be used to project information while driving, for completely immersive virtual reality games, and for displaying a virtual web browser that only the wearer can see. The lenses could also be used to correct vision and even zoom in and out of the world around us.

The researchers tested these lenses on rabbits for up to 20 minutes without any adverse effects.

The next step? Adding wireless communication to and from the lens and implementing some sort of power system using radio-frequency and/or solar cells.

Let’s hope they perfect these things soon. I, for one, am excited to be able to surf the web during lecture without anyone spying on me.