Turning a bionic eye into reality
SEP 03, 2009
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.023653
IEEE Spectrum : The human eye is a perceptual powerhouse. It can see millions of colors, adjust easily to shifting light conditions, and transmit information to the brain at a rate exceeding that of a high-speed Internet connection.But why stop there?In the Terminator movies , Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character sees the world with data superimposed on his visual field--virtual captions that enhance the cyborg’s scan of a scene. In Rainbows End by the science fiction author Vernor Vinge, characters rely on electronic contact lenses, rather than smartphones or brain implants, for seamless access to information that appears right before their eyes."These visions might seem far-fetched, but a contact lens with simple built-in electronics is already within reach,” says Babak A. Parviz.
“In fact, my students and I are already producing such devices in small numbers in my laboratory at the University of Washington, in Seattle. These lenses don’t give us the vision of an eagle or the benefit of running subtitles on our surroundings yet. But we have built a lens with one LED, which we’ve powered wirelessly with RF. What we’ve done so far barely hints at what will soon be possible with this technology.”
© 2009 American Institute of Physics
