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And if we told you that the connected contact lenses from the science fiction film Minority Report, those which would be capable of permanently superimposing mixed reality on our environment, might arrive sooner than you think ?
A researcher from Nanyang Technical University(Singapore) announces that it has, for the first time, succeeded in implanting a very small battery on a rather special contact lens. The object in question has a fineness of 0.5 mm; while the battery, on the periphery, which extends all around the lens, is only 0.2 mm thick.
Contact lenses could quickly become “connected” thanks to this battery
Besides the feat itself of such miniaturization, the researcher's invention has 8217;other assets. This battery can in fact be charged in three ways: the first is not very innovative; Simply connect it to a power source. It can also recharge chemically in its box using a fully biocompatible saline solution (8 hours in the solution for an 80% recharge at this stage).< /p>
Its third charging mode is, however, truly innovative: the battery can use a electrolyte chemistry based on your tears – including in particular the glucose which resides there. Enough to imagine lenses that work permanently or almost. Of course, we are still essentially on a technical demonstration which still needs to be largely refined.
As it stands, the voltage of the component is in the range 0.3V – 0.6V ; which still seems very insufficient to create real, truly accomplished mixed reality contact lenses. But a promising path is opening up to develop completely new interfaces with virtual worlds, quantities of useful information, and access to your computer, smartphone and your next generation AI.
The contemporary world is experiencing a dazzling acceleration in technological progress – to the point that this impression hovers: that the border between science fiction and what is within our reach, in the more or less long term, is becoming more and more tenuous. At the moment everyone is obviously talking about AI. A technology which is increasingly showing an eminently strategic interest.
Your tears are also a source of energy
Besides, there is also mixed and/or virtual reality which is presented as the future of computing, video games, technical guides and other aids for inventory management among others examples. After more and more refined headset formulas notably from Microsoft (HoloLens) and Meta (Quest), or even Sony with its PSVR 2, Apple presented its vision of mixed reality with the Vision Pro.
A very accomplished helmet, both technically and – especially – in terms of the interface which is a true model of ergonomics. But there are still immense obstacles for these products to truly achieve the 'revolution'. mixed reality. They are heavy, keep warm, are quite bulky and cut off too much from the outside world because of that.
Not to mention their battery capacity which doesn't go very far (although , given the relative comfort of the experience, 2 hours seems to be enough…). Superimposing an interface directly on contact lenses would be one of the most attractive avenues for this type of technology. Even more so if the power supply problem begins to seem possible to resolve.
However, there is still a lot of progress to be made to finalize the concept. In particular, developing other essential miniature components for mixed reality that can be integrated into lenses, including MEMS chips for positioning, video sensors for the environment, wireless communication with, one imagines, a unit that makes the essential part of the work.
While the risks surrounding the advent of AGI (a true universal artificial intelligence, generative and self-learning) are causing more and more fear, there is a certain irony in saying that soon, we will perhaps reload their screen of choice literally with our tears.
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