Scientists engineer tiny, curved LCD that can be embedded within contact lenses

Scientists have developed a spherical LCD that’s suitable for embedding in contact lenses. A prototype of the miniature curved display unveiled today shows a dollar sign; its creators say this a nod to the “many cartoons that feature people or figures with dollars in their eyes.” Despite how simple that symbol may seem, it perfectly demonstrates the advantages offered by LCD technology compared to LED-based contact lenses that have come before. Researchers at The Centre of Microsystems Technology in Belgium have engineered the display so that its entire surface area can be pixelated.

As of now the scope is fairly limited — it’s only capable of outputting “rudimentary” patterns similar to those you’d see on a pocket calculator. But future implications are far more promising than this initial prototype, and scientists are hopeful the LCD will be harnessed for medical purposes. For example, it could enable those with a damaged iris to limit the amount of light transmitted toward their retina. Cosmetic uses are also possible: someone with two different-colored eyes could potentially use such a lens to achieve uniformity. Researchers hope to see real-world applications within the next few years.

Unfortunately since the human eye simply can’t focus on anything that close, anything shown on the display would only be visible to bystanders and not the person wearing it. So if you were hoping for a futuristic HUD of some sort, you’ll need to keep waiting for Google Glass.