What is "augmented reality?" A gizmag.com article explains: “Unlike Virtual Reality, where the user’s field of view is completely replaced with an artificial visual environment, Augmented Reality uses head tracking in conjunction with augmented vision to overlay complimentary information on the user’s view.” Basically, augmented reality is when our vision is enanced, adding elements to what we already see, as opposed to replacing it. Below is a video from National Geographic:
Within the past couple of years, a team of engineers at the University of Washington have been working on making bionic contact lenses a reality. The project is being lead by Babak Parviz, an assistant professor of electrical engineering. The research was formally introduced to the public in early 2008. See the YouTube video below:
To see a concept of the lens, click here.
Parvitz and his team were able to build a display into the lens based on an array of LED (light-emitting didode) pixels. Laser beams have also been considered as a light source, because it diverges less than LED light, which could make images sharper.
The lens’ LEDs can be powered wirelessly with radio frequency. (There would have to be some sort of external device to power the lens.) It would have integrated control circuits, communication circuits, and miniature antennas.
The LEDs would create an image on the back of the retina (the light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye), which the viewer would see overlaid onto their natural view of the world.
Reported as of spring 2009, the team has only been able to develop a lens with one pixel.
One of the problems the team has run into is getting the weight and size small enough for the human eye, while also being biocompatible and safe. They are grateful for nanotechnology, which helps resolve the issue of size. The tiny LEDS are reported to fit a possible 100 in an inch (resembling the look of powder!). They were able to coat the toxic materials with a biocompatable substance. Prototypes have been tested on lab rabbits, which, within a 20-minute period of wear, did not show any adverse effects.
Another issue was being able to design a surface where the electronic components wouldn’t block vision. Parvitz says the solution to this is to “place most of the minute components in areas over the eye’s natural blind spots.”
They also need/ed to figure out how to push the image away from the cornea (powerful part of the eye that works with the lens to refract light). The normal focal distance for seeing objects clearly is about 25 centimeters in front of a person’s eye. Parvitz claims that a way to work around this would be to “employ an array of even smaller lenses placed on the surface of the contact lens.” Also, the angle of incoming light could be adjusted to make up for the cornea not being able to focus.
So what are the benefits of this crazy eyepiece? A bionic contact lens could allow someone to see better than he or she does already, meaning even a person with good/“perfect” vision would see things differently. Biosensors on the lens could be designed to send a signal when a particular molecule is detected, providing an easier and non-invasive way to monitor health. The lens could inlfluence the gaming industry, creating new experiences for players. It could also affect the tourism industry, providing access to information.
Sources
Eisenberg, Anne. “Inside These Lenses, a Digital Dimension.” The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 25 Apr. 2009. Web. 06 Dec. 2009.
Hanlon, Mike. “Electronic Contact Lens promises bionic capabilities for everyone.” Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. 21 Jan. 2008. Web. 06 Dec. 2009.
Jackson, Joab. “”Bionic” Contact Lens May Create Tiny Personal Displays.” National Geographic News. 29 Jan. 2008. Web. 06 Dec. 2009.
Nelson, Bryn. “The vision of the future seen in bionic contact lens.” Msnbc.com. 21 Jan. 2008. Web. 06 Dec. 2009.
Parviz, Babak A. “Augmented Reality in a Contact Lens.” IEEE Spectrum Online: Technology, Engineering, and Science News. Sept. 2009. Web. 06 Dec. 2009.
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