Aug 01, 2019 19:00:00

Blinkable zoom contact lens developed

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AYAimages

A team of researchers from the University of California at San Diego has developed a contact lens that can be used to 'zoom' by changing the focal length by blinking.

A Biomimetic Soft Lens Controlled by Electrooculographic Signal-Li--Advanced Functional Materials-Wiley Online Library
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/adfm.201903762

A robotic lens can be controlled by simply looking around or blinking | New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2211334-a-robotic-lens-can-be-controlled-by-simply-looking-around-or-blinking/

Soft Contact Lens Which Can Zoom in When You Blink Twice Developed by Scientists
https://www.newsweek.com/soft-contact-lens-zoom-blink-twice-scientists-1451690

This time, the research team presented a study entitled ' Biomimetic soft contact lens operated by eye movement signals'. Biomimetics means 'it mimics the structure of a living being,' and this contact lens is made of a polymer that has the property of expanding when electricity is applied, and is caused by eye movement such as blinking or moving the eye vertically or horizontally. It is possible to adjust the focal length by measuring the potential fluctuation that occurs. In this experiment, it was set that 'zoom in / zoom out' was switched by 2 blinks.

The image below shows the difference between zooming in (left) and zooming out (right).

However, at this stage, it is necessary to paste five electrodes on the user's head to measure the potential of the eye.

In addition, the research team noted that the movement of the contact lens is not controlled as the movement is continuous and the movement is incomplete, and this contact lens is still a prototype.

Even if you can not see the eye, potential differences occur in the eyeballs, so the research team believes that this research can be used for prosthetic devices such as artificial eyes, glasses with adjustable power, and remote control robots.