How do World’s First Smart Contact Lenses Work

California-based Mojo Vision Successfully Conducts First Trial of Augmented Reality Contact Lenses

What are smart contact lenses?

Drew Perkins, CEO of Mojo Vision, was the first to try the innovative development for himself and shared his experience on his blog. “Just a few months ago, we reported that Mojo Vision was working on smart contact lenses that could project images. We aimed to fit the highest pixel density display in the world into a surface area of ​​no more than 0.5mm²,” said Perkins.

In addition to the display, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a magnetometer are integrated into the lens, which ensures that images in augmented reality remain still despite micro eye movements. At the same time, this feature of human vision helps to provide invisible access to information and interaction with the user interface. In a miniature design, there was also a place for a battery that keeps the device running throughout the day and charged wirelessly.
How does it work?

 

Mojo Vision was founded in 2015 with the goal of creating a “smart” contact lens. During this time, the startup has collected eight rounds of investments in the amount of $204 million, and the company’s engineers have solved a lot of problems associated with the production of a device that did not exist before in principle. They had to invent many of the necessary components and systems from scratch.

• MicroLED display with a resolution of 14,000 pixels per square inch. With an area of ​​less than 0.5 mm² and a pixel pitch of 0.0018 mm, it is the world’s smallest and densest dynamic content display.
• A microcircuit that includes a 5 GHz radio transmitter and an ARM Core M0 processor. They transmit and process information from sensors and broadcast AR content to the LED display.
• A patented power supply system that includes medical-grade micro batteries and a control chip.
• Control with a clear eye-tracking interface that allows the user to access relevant information and select items without hand control.

  How do the World’s First Smart Contact Lenses Work

All together, it works like this: a contact lens is connected wirelessly to an external unit that can be worn like a necklace – all the “heavy” calculations take place in it. A Bluetooth connection would be too slow for these purposes, so a 5 GHz radio channel and a proprietary transmitter are used. Based on data from built-in sensors, augmented reality images can be superimposed on a picture from the real world: navigation signs, data about interlocutors, prompts for performing on stage, etc.

In the future, developers will have to supplement the lens with a photosensor (essentially a camera) for closer and more correct interaction of AR with the real world. Mojo Vision plans to finalize the software and create a three-dimensional image based on images from two contact lenses.

Drew Perkins:

“After completing preclinical testing and reducing potential security risks, I put on the Mojo and found that I could easily navigate the device, view images, and use the on-screen teleprompter. I saw firsthand the future of stealth computing.”

Project prospects:

Mojo Lens has yet to undergo several clinical trials to test its capabilities and gather feedback on the software and apps. The company hopes that the Mojo lens will not only change the lives of ordinary users but also those with visual impairments by improving their ability to perform everyday tasks.

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