Computer: Virtual Reality
VR contacts   (+4)  [vote for, against]
don't leave home (without them)

VR helmet? VR goggles? So twentieth century. VR contacts!
-- rrr, Apr 05 2003

Transparent transistors http://oregonstate....r03/transparent.htm
Recently announced, these might come in handy in the implementation [krelnik, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

REALLY don't drop one of these in the sink! http://uwnews.washi...asp?articleID=39094
Apparently not much progress being made. [DIYMatt, Feb 25 2011]

...not to mention wires running across the surface of your eyeball. The thought of contact lenses weirds me out. I have to move on to the next idea. Thank you.
-- wugah, Apr 06 2003


You wouldn't need wires running across your eyes if we wait 10 years in the future and let the 21st century get going good. They would also not need to be transparent because using ultra high resolution you would essentialy be attaching an small monitor to your eyeball. Also to handle leaving the gameplay environment you could install a camera on the outer facing surface of each lense with a direct feed to the display.
-- Imponderable, Nov 24 2003


I've been thinking about this one and thats how I got here, construct the contacts so that a laser projection covering the entire eyeball is refracted in such away that the light source in front of the eye is always directed into it, track the eye movement to control the imaging hardware output, and the shape of the eyes lens to control the sphere of focus in th VR projection, Im going to see if I can get this rolling but I dont know where to start!
-- Giulio2, Dec 21 2003


Just had this idea, as well, so it must be good!

Actually, the problems to overcome are huge but, in theory, why not?

1. No image. Since the eye cannot focus on the contact lens, the result would be obscuration only. Unless the image on the contact is a holographic image. My question is this: would the holographic image need to be the same or better resolution than the 'real' image?
2. Power. Getting power to the contact lens. Erm... Induction?
3. Signal. Wireless, bluetooth, induction? Not sure how small the receiver could be built.

Now, all we need is a supercomputer to work out the holographic image...
-- Ling, Jun 24 2008


All you need to do is paint the image on the retina. "Lasers" I say...color lasers. Now this can ONLY work as a VR system -- it would have to have built in inertial trackers to see where you are looking at any given time, since our eyes are constantly scanning parts of a scene to put together a picture in our minds. It would also need to know which way your head is facing in space, and you have the perfect AR (Augmented Reality) system.

Halfbaked in the book Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge.
-- cowtamer, Feb 22 2011


I thought this was going to be a virtual reality version of the little book where I keep my friends' associates' phone numbers and addresses. Come to think of it, many UI's could benefit use a spatial dimension.
-- fishboner, Feb 24 2011


In the oven [link as soon as I get around to it]
-- DIYMatt, Feb 25 2011


[DIYMatt] "The lenses were tested on rabbits for up to 20 minutes and the animals showed no adverse effects." Yes, I think they have a little more work to do before this hits the retail market.
-- mouseposture, Feb 25 2011


//the eye cannot focus on the contact lens,//

Does it need to? What I mean is, if the contact lens had suitable micro-lenses included in it, would they not focus the image onto the retina?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 25 2011


True enough.
-- Ling, Feb 26 2011



random, halfbakery