Google眼镜之后是什么？来自根特大学(Gent University)的博士研究生Jelle De Smet 说：整合了显示器的隐形眼镜！
De Smet是在四年前仍在研修显示器技术时，就有以上的灵感；而且他自己也有戴隐形眼镜。他告诉博士班指导教授想写这个题目的论文，教授说：“这很有趣，但非常有挑战性，在过程中需要分解成很多个步骤。”De Smet目前在欧洲研究机构IMEC主持相同研究题目的项目。
他预期该技术的第一步骤能在两年内完成──也就是一种主动性人工虹膜(active artificial iris)；现在，若有人的虹膜损伤或是变形，可利用一种被动植入装置来阻挡多余的光线，但该种装置不会像真正的虹膜那样在阳光下扩张、在黑暗的室内收缩。
De Smet表示：“以被动装置替代受损的主动生物器官并不够好。”他的设计采用仅9个像素以及多灰阶设定，以根据光线的变化扩张或收缩；相同的技术也可以让隐形眼镜在不同光线下变身太阳眼镜。
隐形眼镜显示器组成架构本
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：本可造出很牛的产品，但合作厂商态度很保守
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如果一切进展顺利，下一步将被开发出来的会是一种主动性多焦点镜片，能根据使用者正在阅读或是开车来切换焦点；目前隐形眼镜制造商的多焦点镜片产品也都是被动性的，并没有主动性的产品。
据了解，IMEC已经与一家隐形眼镜制造大厂提出针对以上技术的合作案，但尚未获得响应。De Smet表示，该隐形眼镜厂商对生物兼容、安全的光学材料有很深的了解：“但他们对电子设计技术应该是一无所知。”
“我们需要与他们沟通，分享彼此不同技术专长的价值所在，”De Smet指出：“我们能一起制作出非常新颖的产品，但目前的厂商态度大多很保守。”
隐形眼镜显示器目标市场，按年龄分布
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：可造福全球数十亿的老花眼人口
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配备人工虹膜、可随光线自动调节的太阳隐形眼镜概念产品具备庞大市场商机潜力，至于多焦点隐形眼镜则可造福全球数十亿的老花眼人口──银发族因为老化现象，通常需要携带两种不同眼镜才能看远或是看近。
隐形眼镜显示器的第一步──主动性人工虹膜
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：仍需克服许多挑战
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不过De Smet也坦承，要实现隐形眼镜显示器这个概念仍需克服许多挑战，它需要新材料、可伸缩的互连导线，也许还需要一种能量采集技术或是微型电池。这些只靠一个人当然无法完成，他在IMEC的同僚已经在开发包括可伸缩电子组件等的相关技术。
“我的目标是看看有什么东西在那里，并它们组合起来──我的任务是扮演整合者；”在此同时，De Smet还得努力完成他的博士论文。
De Smet正在演讲
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
编译：Judith Cheng
参考英文原文：Researcher Eyes Display on Contact Lens，by Rick Merritt
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Researcher Eyes Display on Contact Lens
Rick Merritt
LEUVEN, Belgium — What comes after Google Glass? A contact lens with an integrated display, says Jelle De Smet, a doctoral student at Gent University.
The idea hit De Smet about four years ago while he was studying engineering with a focus on display technology. Yes, he wears contact lenses.
He told his doctoral advisor he wanted to write his thesis on the concept. "He said it was interesting, but extremely challenging, and I needed to break it down into steps along the way," said De Smet, who now leads a new research project on the topic at the IMEC research institute.
De Smet believes in two years he could have the technology ready for a first step -- an active artificial iris. Today, a person who has a damaged or deformed iris can get a passive implant to block out excess light, but it doesn't expand in sunlight or contract in a dark room.
"A passive replacement for a defective active biological part is not good enough," said De Smet.
His design uses just nine pixels with multiple grey scale settings to expand and contract in response to changing light conditions. The same technology could be used for contacts that act as sunglasses varying with light conditions.
If all goes well, the next step would be an active, multifocal lens that users can switch depending on whether they are reading or driving. Again, contact lens makers have passive versions of multifocal lenses but not active ones.
IMEC sent a letter to one large contact lens maker a month ago about its new research program. So far it has not received a response.
The big contact lens makers have a deep understanding of optics, biocompatible materials, and safety. "But they don't know anything about electronics design," said De Smet.
"We need to communicate to them the value of sharing our different competencies," he said. "We could do very new kinds of products together, but the existing players are quite conservative," he added.
There's a large potential market with concepts like auto-adjusting sunglass-lenses enabled by the artificial iris. The multifocal lens could serve a billion people with presbyopia, a stiffening of parts of the eye that is a natural consequence of aging and the reason older people often need both distance and reading glasses.
De Smet is quick to admit the challenges are many in realizing his vision of the contact lens display. It requires new materials, stretchable interconnects, perhaps some form of energy harvesting or a micro battery.
He doesn't expect to do it all himself. His new colleagues at IMEC are working on many related developments including stretchable electronics.
"My goal is to see what's out there and combine things -- my job is to be the integrator," he said.
Meanwhile, he also has a PhD thesis to finish.
Excerpts from a presentation De Smet made to press at an annual IMEC meeting are on the following pages.
Inside the display lens
De Smet aims to source components he needs for a contact lens display.
Starting with a simpler active iris
An artificial iris, a first step, requires fewer active components.
Big, aging market
Active multifocal lenses could serve an aging population that turns to glasses.
Making his case
De Smet shared his vision at an IMEC press briefing.
责编：Quentin
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