Engineers at the cutting-edge French university of technology, IMT Atlantique, have developed the world's first self-contained contact lens with a flexible microbattery. The latter is capable of powering the built-in electronics for several hours to reproduce and transmit visual information over a wireless network. Interestingly, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is very interested in improving the visual capabilities of American soldiers in the field, laid an eye on this development.
The invention of French specialists is part of an ambitious project to create a new generation of oculometers associated with the emergence of augmented reality technology. Using such lenses, it will be possible to implement human-machine interfaces, analyze cognitive loads and add other functions. According to developers at IMT Atlantique, the biggest challenge in lens design was how to reduce the size of the batteries needed to power the electronics. However, scientists have found a way out by creating a flexible and very compact power supply.
The development of a stand-alone contact lens with a flexible microbattery was carried out by IMT Atlantique in collaboration with the Provence Microelectronics Center. Its creators note that the device can integrate an LED display, a radio frequency transmitter for wireless communication, and sensors for tracking the direction of the gaze. At the same time, the main function of the contact lens (that is, improving vision) is fully preserved.
A press release published on the IMT Atlantique University website states that "the use of flexible graphene-based electronics will further expand the capabilities of such contact lenses." For example, add the function of additional vision, new communication systems, improve the battery and integrate computing devices, the developers note.
High-tech smart lenses are designed to be used for a variety of purposes. For example, they will be able to find their application in medicine, in particular surgery, in drivers, in the entertainment industry. Nevertheless, according to the French magazine l'Usine Nouvelle, the American military agency DARPA expressed great interest in the innovative solution of French specialists. In addition, as the same source points out, the American tech giant Microsoft is already ready to invest 2 million euros in the work of French scientists, which is not surprising, given its contract with the American Army to develop special augmented reality headsets based on HoloLens, which we reported completely recently.
According to the makers of smart lenses, almost all of the above components for smart lenses are ready.
Nikolay Khizhnyak