How cool would it be to take photos or videos just by blinking your eye?
Now imagine telescopic vision. Or, infrared night-vision.
It would be like having superpowers. And you could have them sooner than you might think – with a contact lens.
Alphabet (GOOGL), Sony Corp. (SNE) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (SSNLF) have all filed patents on ways to make smart contact lenses.
These contact lenses use tiny electronic antennas and optical sensors to record video and take pictures. But that’s just the beginning.
The technology is real. It is happening.
For investors, that opens a new avenue of possibilities.
Soon, contact lenses could help you zero-in on objects like a hunting hawk. Or, pierce the night like a prowling cat. Adding facial-recognition software would mean that you could always call people by name – even if you’d forgotten meeting them.
This is the kind of thing that would not have been possible even a decade ago. However, exponential advances in information technology have led to better product modeling, and even new miniaturization processes.
The combination means almost anything is now possible. I call it the New Gilded Age. That’s because, just like 150 years ago, we find ourselves in a truly golden age of invention, and opportunity.
A contact lens with a built-in camera certainly pushes the limit of what most people believe is possible. It is not hard to imagine augmented-reality and other cool applications.
Add an earpiece and a network connection, and first responders get superpowers …
- Police officers could identify suspects by surveying a crowd.
- Paramedics might gain access to a victim’s medical records after visual identification.
- Such a device would save countless lives.
The concept was science fiction until 2008. Researchers at the University of Washington managed to successfully test a prototype that involved an integrated circuit, a radio receiver and an LED.
In 2016, DARPA, the research division for the Department of Defense, challenged the technology community to drastically reduce the size of printed circuit boards through modularity. Shrinking the circuit boards reduces the time and energy required to move data.
DARPA has its own motives …
Officials claim the new architecture would be perfect for identifying objects in real-time video feeds, and coordinating fast-moving swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles.
It would also help shrink the electronics required for a contact lens camera system.
So far, all the patents filed by major technology companies involve a multi-layered system.
There is an antenna to wirelessly transfer data to another device, like a smartphone. There is a circuitry component, involving a microprocessor and autofocus image pickup sensor. The Sony patent makes reference to onboard storage, but it’s not clear how that would work.
For power, each patent experiments with some form of kinetic energy. The idea is to harness the power created from natural blinking. Somehow, the devices will differentiate deliberate blinking, which will control the user interface.
It all seems incredibly complicated. Then again, we are talking about tiny sensors attached to a contact lens.
Yes, sensors are where it all begins. They have been a hot investment theme for several quarters, and my members have been aboard for the ride.
I began recommending sensor-making companies because sensor data is vital to the digital economy. For example, some sensors detect ultrasonic sounds, proximity, temperature and touch. Others can act as 3-D scanners.
In a world with camera-ready contact lenses, sensors will play an even bigger role.
However, sensors are merely the tip of the spear. New compounds and manufacturing processes will need to be developed for miniaturization. Many companies will profit from this trend.
The time to begin investing in the technology of companies like Cognex Corp. (CGNX), the leading maker of sensors and vision systems for industrial robots, is now.
While contact lenses with built-in cameras may seem far-fetched, such systems are already possible. Their investment story is here now. To see how you can get timely, actionable alerts when it’s time to trade these names, delivered straight to your inbox, click this link here .
Best wishes,
Jon Markman
P.S. There’s a major innovation cycle underway. And it’s not the only one. That’s why I recommend that you RSVP for The Edelson Institute’s 3-day investing symposium right away, if you haven’t done so already. Starting Wednesday, Oct. 18, you’ll get solid, practical profit and protection recommendations that are unavailable from any other source. Click this link here to get all the details, and to claim your FREE seat.
