A research lab at the University of Washington led by Dr Babak Parviz has created contact lenses with tiny circuitry and LEDs that flash information in front of a user’s eye. The result is an in-eye heads-up display that could be used to provide us with information about the world around us.
These devices are still a new form of display and would have to be fed data about the area around the user. However augmented reality applications are already out from Yelp on the iPhone and for the night sky for Android. This technology could unlock tons of potential from the vast stores of information online.
Imagine walking up to a restaurant and seeing the rating and last few reviews from Yelp. You could have received directions directly from within your eye and even search for an alternative if the reviews turn you off. Users would be able to receive data any time without looking away from the road or even having to ask for it.
It would be an amazing world where you could see movie listings as you walk by a theater or get an alert that a friend is in a bar as you walk by. We’re just beginning to use the massive amounts of information that companies are building online and augmented reality will help us to integrate that information into our every-day decision.
Now if only I could get my hands on a prototype…
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I'm Dave and I like to share news about gadgets, gear, careers and design for a mobile world.
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