In South Korea, researchers have succeeded in developing contact lenses with an integrated display that can show a range of information in augmented reality, thanks to a novel 3D printing process.

Researchers from the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) and the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology have developed a new 3D-printing technology for smart contact lenses. These lenses, placed in contact with the eye, can provide a variety of information to the wearer, pre-printed and displayed with a slight electrical pulse.

These smart contact lenses have an electrochromic screen, which means that pre-printed elements can be displayed following an electrochemical reaction.

To achieve such a result, the South Korean researchers applied a chemical compound called Prussian blue to the display. Their major feat is to have succeeded in printing these micro-patterns using a 3D printer that crystallized the Prussian blue on a substrate that is not flat. This process should contribute to the miniaturization of augmented reality devices in the future, given that the micro-patterns obtained here are only 7.2 micrometers thick.

In the context of contact lenses, personalized models could one day help people find their way around or even play certain video games. However, for the moment, this is only a laboratory prototype, and it is not ready to be sold commercially.

 - AFP Relaxnews