Helmets of pilots, on the visor of which the necessary information is displayed, smart glasses into which a picture is projected from a computer – we have already seen all this both in the cinema and in life.

Well, what if we take the next, quite natural step and embed a computer screen directly into contact lenses?

“Just imagine: you are a musician, and all the words and notes are right in front of your eyes,” enthuses Mojo representative Steve Sinclair. “Or you are an athlete, and the necessary biometrics and other information is right at your fingertips.”

And this, according to him, is only a small fraction of what their new lenses will be capable of.

As conceived by the company’s designers, the new scleral (that is, covering not only the pupil, but the entire white of the eye) lens should not only perform its main function – to correct vision, but also carry a micro-LED display with all the necessary sensors and a power source, so so that the image appears directly in the field of view.

Mojo has already built a working prototype and now intends to test and make the final fit so that the lenses can be worn all day without removing, and in the future – and much longer, up to a year.

At the same time, other companies are developing smart lenses that can, among other things, track intraocular pressure, glucose levels, which is very important in cases where the wearer suffers from diabetes, and even detect cancer by certain biomarkers.

Moreover, in the future, such lenses, if necessary, could themselves inject the necessary drugs into the eye.

For example, scientists from the University of Surrey have created a prototype contact smart lens equipped with a photocell, a temperature sensor to diagnose potential corneal diseases, and a glucose sensor that monitors its concentration in the tear fluid.

“We make them ultra-flat and we can put the sensor layer directly on the contact lens so that it directly touches the eye and has contact with the tear fluid,” says Yunlong, a lecturer at the University of Surrey. “You’ll feel more comfortable wearing them because the lenses are more flexible, and through direct contact with the tear fluid, the lens can provide a more accurate reading.”

But despite all the opportunities that are opening up, there are still many obstacles to overcome when creating smart lenses.

One of the obvious difficulties is equipping smart lenses with sufficiently powerful, but at the same time extremely miniature power sources.

Mojo is still testing its products, but hopes that their lenses can be worn all day without recharging.

“Essentially, battery life will depend on how often you use this feature, just like with a smartphone or smartwatch,” says Sinclair.

Another serious concern is associated with privacy – as shown by the experience of Google smart glasses, launched back in 2014 and, by all accounts, turned out to be a failed undertaking.

According to Daniel Loifer, a senior analyst at Access Now, a digital rights company, any covert video recording device – and the new lenses fit that description – potentially threatens the privacy of others.

“With smart glasses, you can at least signal to others, for example, with a red light that you are shooting. But in the case of lenses, it is difficult to imagine where such a signaling device can be built,” says the analyst.

But that’s not all, because the privacy of the user of “smart” lenses may also be at risk.

Smart lenses can only do their job if they follow the direction of your gaze, and this alone, combined with other data, can reveal a lot of information about you that you don’t intend to share.

“What if these devices collect and even share data about what or who I look at, for how long, does my heart rate increase, or do I sweat when I am asked about something?” Loifer asks. “This kind of personal information can be used to draw conclusions about everything from our sexual orientation to whether we tell the truth under interrogation, which is very problematic for us.”

Mojo responds to this by saying that all data that goes to smart lenses is securely protected, and the privacy of the wearer is fully preserved.

Buyers of new smart lenses may also face a different kind of problem that many regular contact lens wearers are aware of.

“Any lens can pose a health risk if not properly worn or cared for,” says Columbia University ophthalmologist Rebecca Rojas. to all sorts of complications, from irritation and inflammation, to serious infections and other damage to the eyes.”

Sinclair acknowledges that this could be problematic given that Mojo lenses are expected to be worn in-situ for up to a year.

But at the same time, he reminds that since the lens is smart, it can be programmed to warn the wearer about the need for cleaning or even replacement.

“Anyway, you don’t launch a smart contact lens like this and expect everyone to want to use it instantly,” Sinclair points out. that all products related to vision, sooner or later will be with the prefix “smart”.