You can forget about all those top of the range smart glasses. Yes, Google may have already jumped on the tech bandwagon with their Google Glass product, but contact lenses are set to undergo a gizmo renaissance thanks to Samsung.
The South Korean giant has filed a unique patent that features a built-in camera. This in turn projects images into the eye. Seeing may very well be believing as these contacts provide a number of different functions.
How will they work?
From a crystal clear display to an antenna and sensors, Samsung are set to bring you the complete picture. So how does it exactly work? The antenna will be connected straight to your smartphone.
Although Google have put their oar in with two similar patents, it’s Samsung who seem to be leading the way. The latter have already been granted a patent in the Far East, which features a host of movement sensors and have already been working on this particular patent for the best part of two years.
The resulting antenna aids in producing the images, which are beamed directly into your eye. On top of this the user has the ability to record the environment around them through these special lenses. Sensors are used in order to process images and are controlled by subtle blinking movements.
So what of the Samsung? At present, they are attempting to turn their tech filled dream into a full blown reality. If they can achieve this, their smart lenses may prove to be a worthy heavyweight adversary to Google Glass. Think Anthony Joshua rather than Tyson Fury.
But enough about raging against the machine! According to sammobile.com says:
“[These lenses] can provide a more natural way to provide augmented reality than smart glasses.”
Google vs. Samsung?
On the other hand, Google have chipped in with two potentially groundbreaking products. They have digressed that they are about to embark on the production of the world’s first lens dedicated to glucose monitoring.
Aimed at diabetes sufferers, this could be a real winner, whilst the other lens product is for the treatment of farsightedness. Google may even be looking at launching a system which could aid partially sighted individuals.
According to Google;
“A blind person wearing Google’s contact lens with a built-in camera may be walking on a sidewalk and approaching an intersection. The analysis component of the contact lens can process the raw image data of the camera to determine processed image data indicating that the blind person is approaching intersection with a crosswalk and establish that there is a car approaching the intersection.”
When it comes to Google, they also share exactly the same wireless capabilities which can be hooked up to a mobile device. In addition to this, we may all be wearing smart lenses in the not too distant future.
This is largely in part down to numerous researchers who have created a special film coating. Entirely made from polymer, the lens conducts electricity on the tiniest surfaces such as contacts.
This means that there may not be a requirement for those chunky remotes or smartphones as you may be able to control your telly via the lenses. Why not surf online or catch up with the latest episode of Eastenders? Everything could be possible with these finely tuned smart lenses.
The concept undertaken by boffins from the University of South Australia’s Future Industries Institute has been deemed secure. Using a tiny amount of hydrogel, scientist had the ability to produce a safe current that means there would be no harm to the eye.
One of the professors added further that this smart technology could revolutionise lenses as we know it. Furthermore, this initiative is considered to be one of the safest methods around. It will allow you the opportunity to engage as well as interact with your smart devices like never before.
Meanwhile, yet another company has got in on the smart lens act. Alphabet intends to manufacture a so-called smart contact lens and have began to set the wheels in motion, their patent surrounds gathering information concerning the user environment. Utilising super slick photo detector sensor material, their device could detect a wealth of allergens in the air.
This features those harmful nasties we have all come to deal with in the summer months such as grass pollen. To this point, there is no concrete evidence of when these products will be available to consumers but all we can say is watch this space.
Unfortunately we’re no Mystic Megs, but you can see our spectacular (albiet regular) contact range here.
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