Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008
Computer Enhanced Vision


Over ten years ago, I saw a video of a man who had created a portable computer rig. This thing consisted of a laptop he had strapped to himself, a key/button input device he had attached to his leg, and a special screen that was attached to his head and hung in front of his face. It was the screen portion that was really cool, as he could walk around and focus on the display when he wanted to. There have been a lot of applications for heads-up-displays (HUDs), from military aircraft to speedometer overlays in modern automobiles.

Researchers are taking it to the next level by creating contact lenses with virtual displays. This article outlines some of the research:

Contact Lenses With Circuits, Lights A Possible Platform For Superhuman Vision

There are many possible uses for virtual displays. Drivers or pilots could see a vehicle’s speed projected onto the windshield. Video-game companies could use the contact lenses to completely immerse players in a virtual world without restricting their range of motion. And for communications, people on the go could surf the Internet on a midair virtual display screen that only they would be able to see.

The terms ‘superhuman’ and ‘bionic’ probably should be used from a science perspective, but they give you the right idea in terms of potential capabilities. Neat stuff.

Check out the picture above (credit: University of Washington). They tested these contact lenses on rabbits. That’s all I need – killer rabbits with super vision.

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