Where Are Your Contact Lens Displays? 152
destinyland writes "'We already see a future in which the humble contact lens becomes a real platform, like the iPhone is today,' argues researcher Babak Parvis, 'with lots of developers contributing their ideas and inventions.' He provides an update on the contact lens with transparent circuitry that's being developed at the University of Washington. (Its components will eventually include hundreds of LEDs which form images in front of the eye such as charts and photographs). They've already developed a lens-with-LED prototype that's powered by 330 microwatts of wireless radio-frequency power, and believe the lenses could also be used as biosensors to deliver body chemistry readings (including blood sugar levels). But 'What we've done so far barely hints at what will soon be possible with this technology,' says Dr. Parviz."
No contacts, please (Score:5, Insightful)
I got rid of my contacts [slashdot.org] back in 2006 (I'm a cyborg). For nearsightedness they're far better than glasses because you need to see all day long, but for a display they're not the right platform. Put those transparent circutis in a pair of glasses; I can keep them in my pocket for when they're needed.
You don't see anyone wearing contact sunglasses, now do you? Not even the ones that darken in sunlight and lighten indoors. Contact lens computer displays is a dumb idea.
What could possibly go wrong? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What could possibly go wrong? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I Seem to Have Misplaced Them ... (Score:4, Insightful)
If the population grows, the flying car has to happen one day, because the roads just get too congested otherwise. I see pictures of India's streets today and shudder when even 25% can and do own cars. China is already experiencing those problems. It's either that, or a real mass transit system like the Germans have, coupled with a revolutionary short distance personal transportation device, something that the Segway was rumored to be, but just wasn't. A bike would do, though a bit slow, a scooter like the original honda cub isn't bad either, but neither fold up enough to take on most busses, trains. It would also take an attitude adjustment on people's parts. The flying car just isn't reality because neither aerodynamic nor lift principles would be satisfactory for the human limitation involved, and anti-gravity would work, if such a thing existed. I would also suggest computer controlled road cars, but I'm not sure if the liability is worth it, if it's only suitable for highways, because, really, people are overall stupid drivers and technology (phones) is only making it worse so far.
DNF is just a game and technically feasible, they just were directionless and unhappy with everything they made. Hurd was superceded by Linux, so it's like complaining that an effective gas lamp was never invented when the lightbulb is already here.
Cold Fusion may be a pipe dream... but I hope they accompany these computer lenses with eyeglass counterparts. I don't like contacts, personally. I can see it happen, but I'd figure the computer power to get anything done would have to be miniaturized so much it'll be at least another 20 years... or that they have a terminal/server configuration where the lens/eyeglass acts as only a display wirelessly connected to a real computer elsewhere, be it on the person himself somewhere or on the internet.
Re:Half an hour to insert (Score:2, Insightful)
How long did you try for?
Months. Daily, for three months.
I started wearing contacts for flying and shooting (shooting with glasses gave me four different images to try to aim at because of the angle, and flying was problematic because they didn't fit well under the headphones). I was only putting them in once a week, and it took about ten to fifteen minutes. Once I started wearing them every day, I got much quicker. It also helped when my optician told me that any suggestions involving mirrors were nonsense. Don't look at your eye in a mirror when putting the lenses in, look straight at the lens and move your finger closer to your eye until they're in.
Not sure why this is modded informative. Every dispensing optician teaches you this when you get contacts for the first time. Like everything, practice usually works, but after blowing a half hour every day for three months I ran out of patience.
And if it falls out, or slips out of place, then another half hour putting it back in.
Re:I Seem to Have Misplaced Them ... (Score:4, Insightful)
If the population grows, the flying car has to happen one day
is that to facilitate transportation, or to solve the population problem? Because flat roads are beyond the abilities of most of the ass-nuggets behind the wheel already.
Hundreds of LEDs (Score:3, Insightful)
Hundreds of LEDs? Why, you could make a 10 X 10 pixel display with that.