Sony mulls contact lenses with cameras

What wearables users seem to want more than anything is avoiding yet another device that needs to be plugged everyday. The less frequently something needs to be powered, the better. This has been the biggest issue with smart watches. Sony has an idea for a wearable that never needs to plugged in. A patent for Sony contact lenses surfaced and the most innovative idea is that they would be powered by a user's blinks.

Sony's blink-powered contacts would use embedded piezoelectric sensors to convert eye movements into energy. Other included sensors would detect blinks that could tell the lenses when to record videos or take a picture. As CNET reported, the technology to achieve this is not small enough to fit into contact lenses yet, but Sony is not the only company thinking about this kind of future.

Google is also reportedly interested in sticking a camera in a contact lens. Google has also worked on other wearable contact lens technology. In 2014, Google announced it was working on contact lenses that could be used to monitor glucose levels. That project is now being handled by Alphabet's Verily subsidiary.

Sony's contact lenses would include distinct areas for storage, sensors, CPU, antennae and other electronics. Things could get pretty crowded, so it is safe to say this kind of technology is years off. The lenses would also have to stay cool enough so as to not sear someone's eyes out. Among futuristic ideas currently in the works, however, this certainly ranks up there with some of the best science fiction. For now, people looking for smart eyewear might have to settle for Bluetooth glasses and similar products.