There is a pair of lenses that can zoom in on images up to 3 times their size just by winking.
No, we are not talking about fiction here, and these are not the bionic eyes. Researchers in Switzerland have developed a way to attach very small telescopes in these lenses so that the wearer can have more control over their vision, especially the size of objects and people they see.
This project is currently being developed by the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne with Eric Tremblay at the helm. The original concept was developed for drones by Advance Research Projects Agency Defense of the United States, but has long been customized for human use.
The prototype was completed in 2013. Contact lenses are expected to provide hope and great benefit to more than 200 million people who currently suffer from some form of impairment or loss of vision, including macular degeneration .
Macular degeneration is an optical condition in which the inner surface of the eyes loses its ability to receive light. Thus, the central vision of a person deteriorates, and activities such as reading becomes more and more difficult. This problem often occurs in the elderly.
Researchers are clear that this is not the first set of contact lenses with telescopic capabilities. However, those already on the market are very bulky, which may discourage wearers from still having lenses.
These new lenses will be only 1.55mm thick while the telescopes are simply integrated. They are also very easy to use as the telescope system, with mirrors that allow the light to bounce around, can be adjusted simply by winking. When you want to zoom, you use your right, zoom out, left. The glasses do not respond to blinking. The glasses will also remain sensitive even if you move your eyes or head as they are able to follow these movements