Researchers at the University of San Diego have just developed a prototype of soft lenses controlled by eye movements: when their wearer follows an object, the lenses adapt the focus and can even zoom if they blink.
Blink to focus on an object at a long distance and zoom in to see it better: this may soon be possible.
In an article published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, scientists from the University of San Diego, California, claim to have developed biomimetic lenses capable of automatically adapting the focus by detecting the eye movements of the wearer. They are also equipped with a zoom function: just blink twice to get a closer view of an object or detail.
Still in the experimental stage
How does this promising invention work? These soft lenses are made of stretchable polymer films that respond to electrical impulses generated by your eyes when they make a movement, such as blinking. These impulses, called electro-oculographic signals, are generated by our eyes even when we sleep. “Even though your eye can’t see anything, a lot of people can still move their eyes and generate this electro-oculographic signal,” the site explains. New Scientist lead researcher Shengqiang Cai.
For the time being, however, these biomimetic lenses remain at the experimental stage, specifies the scientific team. Wearers of the prototype had to wear a series of electrodes around their eyes to be able to use the lenses. However, the inventors hope that they can soon be commercialized for use in prostheses, adjustable glasses and remote-controlled robotics.
This is not the first time that researchers have worked on telescopic lenses. In 2015, a team of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne had also unveiled new lenses that have the ability to zoom in with the blink of an eye. Coupled with a specific pair of glasses, they made it possible to offer visual comfort to people affected by Macular degeneration (AMD), a disorder that causes gradual or rapid loss of central vision. For now, these lenses have not yet been marketed.
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