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Are LED Contact Lenses The Future Of Video Viewing?

August 15, 2013

A new technology may actually project LED images right inside of our eyes.

In the last decade, watching movies and television has become more portable than ever. You can catch a big sports game right on your cell phone while you are out with friends, or you can stream movies and shows right from your tablet, your phone, your computer and probably many more devices to come in the future! With this kind of high-tech, state of the art technology, it’s a wonder if video viewing will ever become more convenient than it is now.

However, some researchers at the University of Washington have attempted to do just that. They have gotten rid of the portable video devices, the cell phones and even the television itself and are instead looking to create a technology that requires much fewer accessories. In fact, just one accessory that you don’t even need your hands to use―an LED contact lens.

“University of Washington researchers have figured out how to implant semitransparent red and blue LED lights in contact lenses, for the purpose of receiving and displaying data in sharp visual images and video. This means wearers will literally be able to watch TV or view photos that are projected directly onto their eyeballs.

Once miniature green LEDs are developed (and they’re in the works, as of now), full color displays will be possible. Once that happens, the possibilities are endless. Think about everything your smart phone can do right now, and imagine the same being possible for your eyeball. This news is a little scary and a lot fascinating, if you ask me—at the very least, with LED contact lenses, your hands would be free to pet your robot or tinker with your hover board.

Lead researcher Babak Parvis comments “You won’t necessarily have to shift your focus to see the image generated by the contact lens,” it would just appear in front of you and your view of the real world will be completely unobstructed when the display is turned off.”

Elemental LED (Elementalled.com)

While this type of technology is still in its infancy, it opens up an awe-inspiring possibility for how we may view and receive information in the future. While many people enjoy the idea of augmented reality through video games and movies, the fact that this kind of future may not be too far off really makes you step back and think―Are we already so reliant on technology that we need it in front of our eyes at all times? What will be the next step in technology is we are already starting to involve electronics right into our own senses?

We would love to hear your thoughts about this kind of technology in the comments below, as well as whether or not you would use this kind of technology if it was made available to the public! We can’t wait to hear what you think about LED contacts!

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