Fascinating: Bionic Contact Lenses

I always find it interesting when science fiction becomes science fact. Star Trek is filled with examples of sci-fi gadgets that ultimately became real, the Star Trek communicator and the cell phone is the most obvious but there are plenty more either in use today or in development.

What I haven't figured out is whether the real technology is a function of a sci-fi writer having the imagination to dream of such devices or if these devices would have come into existence anyway. I guess there is really no way of knowing without a time travel device.

On that note, Steve Austin, aka the Six Million Dollar Man, would be proud of this latest development.

From Govtech.com...

Engineers at the University of Washington have developed contact lenses with integrated circuitry. The lenses have the same properties as traditional contacts and were worn by lab rabbits for 20-minute stretches without displaying ill effects.

A possible use for such lenses might be personal displays. Drivers could see vehicle information or wearers could access their own private video display and surf the Web or watch movies.

The circuitry is made of metal strands less than 10 nanometers wide -- thinner than a hair strand. Engineers are also working on integrating LEDs into the bionic lenses to enhance the lenses' display capabilities.

For an article on the lenses from EE Times, click here.