the vision of the future is slowly emerging

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Myopia, hyperopia, strabismus, astigmatism … So many eye problems that affect us all indirectly or indirectly. Nearly 70% of the French population does not have 20/20 in both eyes. As a result, nearly seven in 10 French people wear contact lenses or eyeglasses at all times. Worldwide, there are 4.6 billion people according to Essilor. In other words, for companies, there is clearly a market. smart health connected objects and technology glasses have long been established in the field of health. But the problem of sight was until then too often ignored. Today, several companies, including Google, Sony and Samsung, are working on the manufacture of smart health connected lenses. What would be the benefits? How does the smart health connected lenses work? Are we talking about a technological gadget or a real breakthrough in terms of health? We are tuning with you.

Samsung's smart health connected lenses

And if you turned into a spy? This is how you were introduced to Samsung's smart health connected lenses a few months ago. We now have a vision a little more precise since new information came out late 2016. Even if we are still at the prototype stage, the patent of the South Korean company is very explicit. These smart health connected lenses will be powered by eye movements. An energy capacitor is already planned. They can communicate with the smartphone through a small outdoor antenna.

Side "features", these lenses will include a photo sensor and a screen. This will provide access to information available on the Internet. The sensor should let him take photographs simply by blinking and filming a video from our eyes. Surprisingly, little information has filtered out for the moment as to the help that these lenses could bring to people suffering from a visual problem. From there to think that Samsung sees lenses only as a new technological accessory …

Google's smart health connected lenses

Google is the first company to have begun to position itself in smart health connected lens research. By 2015, the American company had already filed two patents! Google started with prototypes for presbyopes but especially for diabetics. The company wanted to allow them to monitoring the evolution of blood glucose in real time thanks to the contents of the tears. A process that would prevent them from getting stung several times a day. For presbyopes, the prototype included mini-sensors able to adapt the vision according to the ambient light.

But the Mountain View company is now working on an intraocular lens, that is to say directly grafted on the eye. The idea is to replace the natural lens of the eye to correct the sight. But these smart health connected lenses would not stop there. The idea is indeed to ship sensors, a battery and a radio component to communicate. This new patent still seems to be science fiction but leaves room for thought. And if we could one day take a picture directly with his eye?

Sony's smart health connected lenses

Sony is the third player on the smart health connected lens market. The most unexpected but the most discreet too. However, things should change rather quickly. The US Patent and Trademark Office validated in early February a patent application filed in April 2016.

These smart health connected lenses should integrate several sensors able to detect for example if a blink of the eye is of the order of the reflex or if it is voluntary. If they are the product of the will of the wearer, they will then be interpreted as commands to take pictures and videos. Indeed, lenses should also integrate electronics for shooting and storage. Like Samsung, we put on the movement of the eyes for food. Piezoelectric sensors could convert them and provide the necessary energy. Finally, the movements of the eyelid could also allow to zoom or to make a focus. In short, a real augmented vision that still seems far from commercialization to believe the latest information.

And on the side of smart health connected glasses?

In a very paradoxical way, there are far fewer projects going on smart health connected glasses. While it may seem easier to work on a single model, adapting to the eyes of all, companies seem to privilege for the moment the research on lenses.

However, a prototype has recently emerged, created by the University of Utah in the United States. This electronic model with liquid glasses can adapt in real time or almost (14 thousandths of a second) to what you are watching. But the time to market is still high. Its creators hope to market it in 2 to 3 years.

But by then, they may well become obsolete. A company has already developed a an incredible surgical technique in terms of vision. This cataract operation can give patients visual acuity three times greater than a 20/20 vision. If it is not yet available for sale, they will end up being one day. Implantable in eight minutes, this process is undoubtedly only the emergent part of the profound transformations that await the human being. With these "increases", new questions and debates will arrive.

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