I’ve brought a tiny, chip-studded, display-enabled contact lens made up to my eye, but I never was actually able to wear it. But by the end of 2022, I might get a chance. Mojo Vision’s smart contact lenses, which have been in development for years, are finally being worn internally, starting with the company’s CEO Drew Perkins.
Perkins, who I spoke to over Zoom, has only worn the lens for an hour at a time so far. He likens the first tests to a baby learning to walk: “We’ve now taken that first step. And it’s very exciting.”
I already have my doubts tech companies will be able to convince people to wear AR glasses, so you can guess how much faith I have in people voluntarily wearing contact lenses.
This sounds vaguely familiar….
Shut up and take my money!
I know Futurama did it first, but I’m actually getting some strong Black Mirror vibes from this. Several of that show’s storylines had a similar (though obviously less clunky for “near future’s sake”) combination contact lens/earpiece/controller.
Drumhellar,
I’ve seen this trope used so many times out of context, but props to you for using it with proper context!
Most of this tech is overhyped and under-delivers, but it has to start somewhere, I just wish we would get straight up introductions without all the hype. I suppose we live in optimism, we read a story like this and think an Alter Carbon existence is just around the corner.
But I’m very cynical about people, it won’t be long before an early adopter is suing the creators for an accident or event that was “caused by or contributed to through the use of a smart contact lens”, you just know this is going to happen!
Finally, there is almost no information about power, I hope this is solar and not a battery based solution, because what if it shorts on your eyeball?
Great for navigation.
I don’t have much doubts in regards if today’s youth will or won’t wear it. They grow up without the concept of privacy and being perfectly fine with them being a product. It’s not about if tech companies will be able to convince anybody. It’s more of an anger directed towards tech companies. On why is it taking them so long.
The tech is almost there to basically cure blindness. Some start up at some point had some working prototypes, then went under. I’m thinking this should be more targeted at that than ‘we can beam ads to your eyeballs!’
It’s always about the money. No matter how altruistic and well intended a technological or scientific advancement starts out, it always ends up succeeding or failing based on its ability to make rich people richer and poor people poorer.
Morgan,
I agree. But also the industrial military complex, which despite the inhumane goals, is another time proven strategy for technology to succeed even in non-capitalistic nations.
Just don’t get the ad supported ones. Can you imagine ?
Ha ha, nice, now neither turning away nor even blinking your eyes will shield you off their crap.
The only problem with AR glasses is how they look – whether they can make them power efficient enough to hide the battery enough to make these enticing. That’s it. If they can make them look fashionable, they’ll sell.
I am curious about the battery tech in these contact lenses. What happens if a component of the lens shorts or over heats in your eye? I’m imagining a lithium ion fire right up against my iris, and it makes me scared.
Meh, a little grey matter lobotomy would provide plenty enough space for a battery. And you need not fear because an amygdala lobotomy would take care of your fear response too. Two birds one stone I say, haha.
http://www.actforlibraries.org/brain-anatomy-and-physiology-the-fear-response/
@Alfman
Isn’t Elon already working on this?
He seems to have already succeeded in removing the grey mater of many followers!
what is wrong with glasses? they would make so much more sense. especially ability to have external battery.
Other than the, irrelevant in my opinion, style issue, There was the glasshole effect of google glasses. People would be sitting or talking with someone and their eyes dart up to a side to see the display better, it was really annoying to those who were talking with them or trying to get their attention. Somehow it was worse than having someone pull out their phone and stare at it. I never saw them or someone in person with them, so this is coming from a friend who lived in SF during the peak of Google Glasses.