New robotic contact lens lets wearer zoom in just by blinking eyes

Scientists have recently created new type of eye-controlled robotic contact lenses, which can zoom in and out by just blinking.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego measured the electrical signals of the eye dubbed the ‘electro-oculographic signal’, which allows us to move our eyeballs even with eyes closed, in order to create contact lenses that respond to that activity and can be controlled via eye movements.

Lead researcher Shengqiang Cai told New Scientist, “Even if your eye cannot see anything, many people can still move their eyeball and generate this electro-oculographic signal.”

The lens mimics the electro-oculographic signal, and is made from polymers that expand as soon as electric current is applied. The lens is then controlled via five electrodes surrounding the eye that act like muscles. Once the polymer becomes more convex, the lens then effectively zooms in, explained Independent.

The team hopes that soon this innovation could benefit in creating a prosthetic eye or a camera that can be controlled with eyes alone.

“The system developed in the current study has the potential to be used in visual prostheses, adjustable glasses, and remotely operated robotics in the future,” researchers wrote in the paper published in Advanced Functional Materials.