Robotic Contact Lenses Are the Sensors of Tomorrow

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Out of all the military sensors used and deployed, there is likely no other sensor that is used as often as the human eyeball. Often joked about and called the Mk 1 eyeball, the human eye may be the most commonly used sensor in the military, but it is definitely not the most powerful sensor. 

Our capacity to capture the electromagnetic spectrum is very limited without the help of infrared, ultraviolet, or x-ray sensors. When these sensors are used to assist us in seeing beyond the visual spectrum, they usually come in the form of large and expensive machinery.

This leads us to the question: what if the human eye could become an advanced sensor system, without large mechanical devices? What if humans could “upgrade” their eyes by wearing robotic contact lenses?

Dating back to the late 19th century, using contact lenses to correct vision is not a new concept. However, using robotic contact lenses to grant us superhuman vision is.

A study by Li et al. (2019)  titled “A Biometric Soft Lens Controlled by Electrooculographic Signal,” mentions how a team of researchers at the University of California San Diego managed to create an interface that allows human eye movements to control the zoom and focus of a robotic lens.

However, C4isrnet.com mentions that this interface is only a prototype and there are currently several limitations to the design.

The technology would also grant great benefits for military applications, replacing weapon mounted sensors and binoculars with sensors that literally sit on your eyes and can be controlled hands free. Further increasing the situational awareness of soldiers on the battlefield.

The prototype only currently works with the help of a special rig, using parts that will have to be miniaturized in size before a human could wear it. Furthermore, the subjects testing the prototype had several electrodes placed around their eyes.

But if researchers managed to miniaturize the prototype’s components, then the technology would offer a new form of lens and a new method to control it.

Such a technology would be great for corrective and restorative applications for human sight.