“Bionic” contact lenses to create heads-up-display vision

January 28, 2008

A prototype “bionic” lens created by engineers at the University of Washington melds bio-safe plastic with micro-manufactured electronics. —Photo credit: University of Washington

Engineers at the University of Washington have combined a contact lens with an electronic circuit and lights, using nano-scale manufacturing techniques. Assistant professor of electrical engineering, Babak Parviz, says the goal is to provide a view similar to the head-up displays (HUD) fighter pilots see through their canopies.

As yet, a full-fledged display isn’t available, but researchers say a version that has a basic display with just a few pixels could be operational in the near future. As the technology advances, the developers foresee a number of uses for the virtual displays, such as projecting a driver’s speed onto the windshield, or surfing the Internet on a midair virtual display screen only the user would be able to see.

While the prototype contact lens does not correct the wearer’s vision, Parviz said the technique could be used on a corrective lens, since the circuitry doesn’t obstruct a person’s view. “There is a large area outside of the transparent part of the eye that we can use for placing instrumentation,” he said.

The prototype device contains an electric circuit as well as red light-emitting diodes for a display, though it does not yet light up. The major challenge was manufacturing the prototype. Researchers built the circuits from layers of metal only a few nanometers thick and constructed light-emitting diodes one third of a millimeter across. They then sprinkled the grayish powder of electrical components onto a sheet of flexible plastic. Capillary forces then pull the pieces into position.

Future improvements will add wireless communication to and from the lens. The researchers hope to power the whole system using a combination of radio-frequency power and solar cells placed on the lens.
http://ee.washington.edu/