Californian startup Mojo Vision finally has a human wearing its smart contact lens, bringing the future of augmented reality and superhuman sight one step closer.
Augmented reality : Unlike virtual reality, which replaces your view of the real world with all digital graphics, augmented reality (AR) places digital images at the top of a real-world display.
Augmented reality allows you to interact more seamlessly with technology: you can read text without having to take out your phone or see directions appear in front of your eyes as you navigate a new city.
Mojo Vision wants its smart contact lens to give people superhuman eyesight.
The challenge: AR glasses aren’t for everyone, though.
Although they are generally sleeker than VR headsets, some people still find them bulky and uncomfortable to wear. Others might just not like the way they look any glasses, or playing sports and other activities that are not suitable for glasses.
smart contact lens: In 2015, Mojo Vision was launched with the aim of developing a smart contact lens that would allow wearers to see digital information right in front of their face – like AR glasses – but with the convenience of contacts.
He doesn’t plan to stop there, though – the company ultimately wants to use its Mojo lens to give people superhuman powers, such as the ability to zoom in on distant objects or see clearly at night.
What’s new? The company has unveiled several prototypes of its technology since then, but it wasn’t until June 28 that CEO Drew Perkins revealed in a blog post that Mojo Vision had finally put its smart contact lens on someone’s eye: its own.
“After completing preclinical testing and mitigating potential safety risks, I wore Mojo Lens,” he wrote. “Much to my delight, I discovered that I could interact with a compass to find my bearings, view images, and use an on-screen teleprompter.”
“Wearing the goal was inspiring,” he added. “Seeing the future literally put me at a loss for words.”
Look forward: The last prototype of the Mojo lens, unveiled in March, looks like a combination of a traditional contact lens and a microchip.
Packed into the small piece of technology is the world’s smallest and densest dynamic display, along with an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer. There’s eye-tracking technology, medical-grade micro-batteries, and custom communication chips.
As noted by Perkins, this smart contact lens is really what we think of when we imagine futuristic technology, and Mojo Vision is now ready to conduct the clinical trials necessary to gain FDA approval for the technology – and finally, give you a great vision.
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