Not to mention dorky glasses.

The first prototype shows an image of a dollar sign — apparently the researchers are already thinking about commercialization. While it currently can display only simple images (similar in complexity to a cheap dollar-store calculator), Imec says future versions should be able to control light transmission to the retina, create different colored irises, and function as a heads-up display, which could superimpose almost any image right onto your field of vision.

You can see the new contact lenses in this movie from Imec … with appropriately James Bond-ish music:

The LCD display technology that Imec created allows the use of almost all of the contact lens surface, unlike LED-based applications that only enable a few pixels. In fact, Imec says, the technology will work for a range of pixel sizes and numbers.

The main challenge, of course, beside the thinness, has been the shape:

“Normally, flexible displays using liquid crystal cells are not designed to be formed into a new shape, especially not a spherical one,” Jelle De Smet, the project’s primary researcher, said in a statement. ”Thus, the main challenge was to create a very thin, spherically curved substrate with active layers that could withstand the extreme molding processes.”

Imec, which claims to be three to ten years ahead of the industry, created the new contact lens at the Center for Microsystems Technology.

It’s almost too bad that Apple has already patented its term for very high-density, high-quality screens. Because this truly has the potential to be a real retina display.

photo credit: jonycunha via photopin cc

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July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Early Bird Tickets on Sale

We’ve heard a lot from Samsung over the past few months about its flexible next-generation displays.

By switching from glass to plastic, device makers can create lighter, more durable, and potentially more attractive devices. It’ll be an exciting thing to watch.

Now a report from the Wall Street Journal says Samsung is finalizing development of the technology, which means we could see it as soon as next spring.

And we have no idea when devices with the technology will see the light of day. Will we see a flexible Galaxy S IV? Maybe, but Samsung isn’t saying just yet.

One thing we do know, however, is this: flexibility is profitable: Sony, LG, and even smaller ventures like XSense and C3NAno are all pouring dollars into the technology. So there’s clearly something to it.

In the end, the key to the technology lies in two questions: How much money will it save manufacturers? After all, there’s no point in embracing a manufacturing process that more expensive or more difficult than what came before it.

The second question is perhaps more important, at least for the average person: Will flexible devices even be the type of things consumers actually want? We’ll know soon enough.

Electrowetting tech allows for displays that are bright, low-power, flexible, and transparent, making for easy outdoor reading. Samsung says the acquisition will further its position in next-gen display technology, and that it will pioneer the use of electrowetting in e-paper and transparent displays. And since the technology can be manufactured by tweaking LCD production lines, Samsung doesn’t have to invest much to start taking advantage of it.

Liquavista’s technology has a wide variety of uses in mobile devices, including phones, media players, and e-readers. Samsung says that when it comes to e-paper, electrowetting displays are more than 70 times faster than existing e-ink displays, which will allow for color video (something e-ink has struggled to deliver).

Samsung already showed off some flexible and transparent display technology at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, and I’ve seen a large-screen transparent display from the company in action last year. We likely won’t see flexible or transparent displays for retail this year, but I can just imagine how the technology will be implemented over the next few years.

Via Engadget