Not content with people engaging with augmented reality through their smartphone screens to play video games or through AR glasses, two companies have entered into a working relationship to develop the world's very first-ever augmented reality contact lenses.
California-based Mojo Vision has teamed up with Menicon, not only Japan's largest but also oldest contact lenses manufacturer. Together the companies will be working to help make AR contact lenses a reality. Mojo Vision has already developed prototypes of the contact lenses that would allow people to overlay images on top of what they see in the real world, much like how a gamer recently used AR to showcase the size difference between the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Speaking with VentureBeat, Mojo Vision's Chief Technology Officer, Mike Wiemer, acknowledged how the current partnership is a "development agreement." He noted how it could eventually turn into a "commercial agreement" before expressing his excitement at the partnership and what the end product could provide. This relationship will see Mojo Vision and Menicon work on several different studies on the feasibility of production and manufacturing, taking the prototype concept and eventually turning it into a practical consumer product.
Mojo Visions' current prototype, known as Mojo Lens, has been described by the company as the first true smart contact lens. The California company will be relying on the extensive history and experience that Menicon brings to the table, with the Japanese contact lens manufacturer having worked across all aspects of contact lenses, from research into material development and lens design to development and post-care solutions.
The working partnership will help the augmented reality contact lenses by researching and developing appropriate lens materials, cleanliness maintenance, and consumer fittings, amongst other important factors that need to be thoroughly researched before moving into development and, subsequently, production, one day allowing tech-savvy gamers to experience things like the Pokemon Trading Card Game in a whole new way.
Mojo Vision is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) via its Breakthrough Devices Program, a voluntary initiative intended to provide safe, timely access to medical devices that can treat diseases or conditions. Earlier this year in April, the company revealed it had raised more than $51 million in funding. It has since increased to a staggering $159 million at the time of writing.
It was noted that Mojo Vision is working hard to develop additional relationships with other contact lens companies and that its current prototype is more advanced than the one it showcased in January 2020.
Already popular amongst certain video games, including Niantic's popular Pokemon Go and a range of smartphone apps, there is an untapped wealth of practical possibilities augmented reality can offer other industries beyond a phone screen. Even though AR has been integrated into smartglasses—speculated to be the next big wearable tech product—it will be interesting to see how contact lenses offer the user a potentially different experience, one that would no doubt change how many interact with the world around them.
Source: VentureBeat