Augmented reality mini-displays could be the future of smart contact lenses: how they will work and when they will be available
Contact lenses can become the smartphone of the future. We had hypothesized this years ago , but now there seems to be the direct interest of Apple which, according to the first rumors leaked by the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (always well informed when it comes to the Apple environment), could even launch a prototype within the 2030 . The Apple has been putting its sights on augmented reality for some time by developing a very precise road map: first the Apple Glass – presumably arriving in 2025 – then the great leap into virtual reality and, finally, the landing in the world of smart contact lenses that could become the future of technology. Of course, the Google Glass failure preaches calm and patience, plus it will take years before a contact lens will be able to accommodate a tiny display in which you will see your apps scroll and you can open your favorite content, but it seems that the future can be marked.
Apple’s contact lenses could provide an augmented reality experience without wearing glasses or headphones , overlaying digital information with real-world images; for example, a person walking into an outdoor mall could easily see each store’s opening hours, and so on. How will they work? Once worn, if you look straight ahead, you will see nothing but the surrounding environment; while a quick glance to the left or right corner will be enough to see the main icons you use on your smartphone appear: calendar, weather, notes, notifications and so on.
Apple may launch a mixed reality headset next year, and AR contact lenses in 2030 https://t.co/MiA3F8w7jP pic.twitter.com/MaEVziaFOR
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At that point you will have to look at one of the icons to be able to open it and see more details in an interface that should be simple and intuitive. All the operations of calculation or related to energy consumption by the tiny displays should be covered by the smartphone, then it will be enough to synchronize a pair of earphones to manage phone calls and voice assistant taking the place of your smartphone in all respects.
So what will change compared to Apple Glass? It should be the final project, a sort of continuation of the idea of smart glasses with which we will try to “move” the iPhone display to the lenses of your viewers. The information will appear on both lenses and, as mentioned, they will also work with prescription lenses: to interact you will have to talk to Siri or use gestures made specifically to make the glasses work at their best.
Also Read: Will Apple introduce new AirPods soon?
On the other hand, this vision that will lead us to increasingly adopt augmented and virtual reality solutions within our lives are also shared by Microsoft and Facebook . The first has just presented a platform that will allow you to participate in real meetings in the form of a hologram ; the second spent $ 2 billion to buy Oculus, betting on the company for the future of entertainment. It will still take years before a definitive explosion, but the adoption of smart glasses and VR headsets seems to be really around the corner.
