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Telescopic Contact Lenses Unveiled

Posted by samzenpus on from the all-the-better-to-see-you-with dept.

sarahnaomi writes Unveiled at this week's AAAS meeting/conference in San Jose, the telescopic contact lenses are the creation of optics engineers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, with a bit of help from designs developed at DARPA. The technology involves a bit more than just the contacts. The system is based on the interaction between a pair of normal-looking eyeglasses and the lenses, which are embedded with what are really just a pair of supertiny aluminum telescopes. The contacts are still only about 1.5 millimeters thick, and feature 1 mm-wide channels or pores that allow the required breathability-maintaining airflow. This last part proved to be one of the biggest challenges, requiring years of experimentation.

21 comments

  1. FP bitches by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Zoom in on this: 8====D~

    1. Re:FP bitches by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's awesome! Excellent first post!

    2. Re:FP bitches by nitehawk214 · · Score: 2

      Zoom in on this: 8====D~

      Because without these, your dick is invisible?

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
  2. Six million dollar man's eyes are finally real? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV17B8oq_cE

  3. Go go gadgets contacts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "embedded with what are really just a pair of supertiny aluminum telescopes" WTF?

    1. Re:Go go gadgets contacts by invictusvoyd · · Score: 1

      it's for people with vision problems ( AMD etc) . Provides only 2.8x magnification ( a decent pair of binoculars does 10x ) . The article dosent mention how they manage achieving "focus" though ..

    2. Re:Go go gadgets contacts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      vision problems ( AMD etc)

      You probably made the marketing department of AMD all teary with that.

  4. title by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

    I am disappointed that these are not contact lenses for my telescope.

    Though I suppose putting a barlow lens on would qualify as this.

    --
    I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
  5. Re:First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You lost the game.

  6. You lost me at "supertiny" by MetalliQaZ · · Score: 2

    What kind of writer would ever create and then use a word like 'supertiny'?

    --
    "Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
    1. Re:You lost me at "supertiny" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A writer who has a limited imagination when he sees your penis.

    2. Re:You lost me at "supertiny" by binarylarry · · Score: 5, Funny

      Note from the editor:

      It was better than his first choice, ultraweensey.

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  7. infrared telescopic contact lenses, now, please by amplesand · · Score: 2

    I am one of those who never picked up any of those 700 000 infrared Sony camcorders in 1998. Could we, please, have infrared telescopic contact lenses now!

  8. Annoying websites by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

    Totally off-topic except for the linked website being one of those, but...

    I hate those websites that have this "let's scroll the background at half the speed of the real scrolling" Web 2.0-whatever feature. It's annoying for people who use their mouse scrollwheel because it looks like the scrolling it broken and we're not sure if we're dealing with stupid iFrames or broken javascript or some other godamn problem.

    Whoever invented that shit should be ashamed of himself/herself.

    --
    Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
  9. Sounds like sci-fi! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Arthur C Clarke utilised the idea of modifying the eyes to have telescopic vision, when the StarHolmer species visits earth in the distant future "The Holmer everted Its eyes to give telescopic vision"... Looks like we're starting with augmentation and in the future to genetically modified/enhanced vision by enabling telescopic vision.

  10. Excuse me while I touch my eye. by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    The contacts are still only about 1.5 millimeters thick...

    Still only? Beer coasters are thinner than that.

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    1. Re:Excuse me while I touch my eye. by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 1

      But beer coasters are no telescopes.

      --
      Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
  11. Picture of prototype by Harald+Paulsen · · Score: 1

    I believe this was the prototype :-)

    http://www.tvfanatic.com/galle...

    --
    Harald
  12. Wheeee! by pugugly · · Score: 1

    Woo-hoo Cybernetic limbs be damned, I Officially live in a god-damn Shadowrun game now!

    --
    An Invisible Entity of Vast Power whose existence must be taken on faith alone: Liberal Media
  13. Finally one of Kryten's problems solved by Zappy · · Score: 1

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...