Recently scientists had developed new advanced prototype of contact lenses that could give the wearer a more clear vision than earlier. What’s more, the advanced prototype will also the user to zoom in and out with normal and 3x magnification. The lens so developed will prove a boon to thousands of elderly people suffering from vision loss, both far and near sighted. The prototype lenses, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Jose, California, contain tiny aluminium telescopes that would interact with a pair of specially designed glasses to allow you to toggle between normal and ‘zoomed in’ viewing. The operating instructions tell users to wink the right eye to zoom in and the left to zoom out. The lens was first developed by the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency as super-thin cameras for aerial drones, have been retooled as a possible solution for those with age-related macular degeneration. Macular degeneration occurs when the light receptors on the inner surface of the eye are lost, resulting in blurred central vision. With one cannot be able to read clearly making it impossible to work. Eric Tremblay, optical engineer from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne said that the contact lenses has more appealing for the average person and also to those related to Macular degeneration. Tremblay told the Daily Mail that “At this point, it is still research but we are very hopeful it will eventually become a real option for people with age-related macular degeneration.” The recent prototypes are rigid which allow light through the centre of the lenses, are bigger and thicker than traditional lenses. However, before the lenses can be rolled out commercially, the scientists are working on it to make it lighter and breathable enough for long-term user.
