Serpo
14th April 2012, 04:29 PM
U.S. troops to have 'super vision' as Pentagon orders electric contact lenses that let them 'see' through drones flying overhead
Lenses can let troops see through 'eyes' of drones flying above
Can 'layer' target information over view of world
Contact lenses don't impede fighter's vision
Equivalent to a 240-inch 3D television from 10 feet
By Rob Waugh (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Rob+Waugh)
UPDATED: 10:53 GMT, 14 April 2012
Comments (13) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129261/Pentagon-contact-lenses-US-troops-super-vision-electric-eye-lenses-pipe-target-information.html#comments)
Share (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129261/Pentagon-contact-lenses-US-troops-super-vision-electric-eye-lenses-pipe-target-information.html#socialLinks)
Google wowed the world this week with its Project Glass computer glasses - but the U.S. Army is investing in a technology one step ahead.
The Pentagon has placed an order with Innovega for lenses which focus 3D battlefield information from drones and satellites directly into people's eyeballs.
The tiny 'screens' sit directly on users' eyeballs and work with a pair of lightweight glasses with a built-in translucent screen.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/13/article-2129261-12949B23000005DC-492_468x397.jpg The lenses sit directly on the eyeball, and have been engineered using nanoscale techniques to work as a focusing device that pairs with a pair of hi-tech glasses
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/13/article-2129261-12949B1E000005DC-968_468x278.jpg Crucially, the devices can be worn while moving about - previous bulky 'VR headsets' have blindfolded their users and can only be used sitting down
The experience is equivalent to a 240-inch television viewed at a distance of 10 feet, says Innovega's CEO Steve Willey.
'Warfighters need to maintain their full vision while on the battlefield,' says the company. 'At the same time a tremendous amount of data, graphics and video are collected and are required by specific warfighters in the field.
More...
Could a cure for AIDS be on the horizon? Genetically engineered human stem cells can hunt down and 'kill' HIV inside the body (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129200/Could-cure-AIDS-horizon-Genetically-engineered-human-stem-cells-hunt-kill-HIV-inside-body.html)
'Some is generated from remote cameras, drones, or satellites. Fully transparent video eyewear that is configured into standard issue field glasses would constitute an important step forward. Innovega is actively in partnership to develop this application.'
Crucially, the devices can be worn while moving about - previous bulky 'VR headsets' have blindfolded their users and can only be used sitting down.
The effect could be similar to the lenses worn by Tom Cruise in Minority Report.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/13/article-2129261-1277D4E1000005DC-412_468x508.jpg Google's vision of 'techno glasses': In demonstrations, the glasses are mainly voice-controlled, using voice commands to bring up contacts, send emails and search
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/13/article-2129261-1277E78E000005DC-716_468x286.jpg Google's 'heads up display': The demonstration shows off a weather forecast layered over a view of the world
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/02/03/article-2095987-03BDD2CF000005DC-620_468x286.jpg University of York's 'Virtual Cocoon': Like many head-mounted displays, it's bulky and not transparent - ie wearers cannot safely use it while moving about
DARPA - the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, thought of as the American military's 'mad scientist' wing - has been funding research on 'soldier mounted displays' for some time, but previous versions have been bulky.
The lenses, made with nano-scale engineering processes,work as a hi-tech focusing device, which allows Innovega's glasses to be considerably less bulky than previous devices.
The lenses themselves require no power, and thus can sit safely on the eyeball.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/02/03/article-2095987-1194207C000005DC-141_468x379.jpg Innovega claims that the lenses could become successful quite rapidly because of the huge number of people who already wear contact lenses worldwide
DARPA projects are often oddball technology, but it also has a history of far-sighted technological leaps.
DARPA invented the first virtual reality devices, and one of the precursors of the modern internet.
DARPA Says, 'Innovega's iOptiks are contact lenses that enhance normal vision by allowing a wearer to view virtual and augmented reality images without the need for bulky apparatus. '
'Instead of oversized virtual reality helmets, digital images are projected onto tiny full-color displays that are very near the eye.'
These novel contact lenses allow users to focus simultaneously on objects that are close up and far away.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129261/Pentagon-contact-lenses-US-troops-super-vision-electric-eye-lenses-pipe-target-information.html
Lenses can let troops see through 'eyes' of drones flying above
Can 'layer' target information over view of world
Contact lenses don't impede fighter's vision
Equivalent to a 240-inch 3D television from 10 feet
By Rob Waugh (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Rob+Waugh)
UPDATED: 10:53 GMT, 14 April 2012
Comments (13) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129261/Pentagon-contact-lenses-US-troops-super-vision-electric-eye-lenses-pipe-target-information.html#comments)
Share (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129261/Pentagon-contact-lenses-US-troops-super-vision-electric-eye-lenses-pipe-target-information.html#socialLinks)
Google wowed the world this week with its Project Glass computer glasses - but the U.S. Army is investing in a technology one step ahead.
The Pentagon has placed an order with Innovega for lenses which focus 3D battlefield information from drones and satellites directly into people's eyeballs.
The tiny 'screens' sit directly on users' eyeballs and work with a pair of lightweight glasses with a built-in translucent screen.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/13/article-2129261-12949B23000005DC-492_468x397.jpg The lenses sit directly on the eyeball, and have been engineered using nanoscale techniques to work as a focusing device that pairs with a pair of hi-tech glasses
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/13/article-2129261-12949B1E000005DC-968_468x278.jpg Crucially, the devices can be worn while moving about - previous bulky 'VR headsets' have blindfolded their users and can only be used sitting down
The experience is equivalent to a 240-inch television viewed at a distance of 10 feet, says Innovega's CEO Steve Willey.
'Warfighters need to maintain their full vision while on the battlefield,' says the company. 'At the same time a tremendous amount of data, graphics and video are collected and are required by specific warfighters in the field.
More...
Could a cure for AIDS be on the horizon? Genetically engineered human stem cells can hunt down and 'kill' HIV inside the body (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129200/Could-cure-AIDS-horizon-Genetically-engineered-human-stem-cells-hunt-kill-HIV-inside-body.html)
'Some is generated from remote cameras, drones, or satellites. Fully transparent video eyewear that is configured into standard issue field glasses would constitute an important step forward. Innovega is actively in partnership to develop this application.'
Crucially, the devices can be worn while moving about - previous bulky 'VR headsets' have blindfolded their users and can only be used sitting down.
The effect could be similar to the lenses worn by Tom Cruise in Minority Report.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/13/article-2129261-1277D4E1000005DC-412_468x508.jpg Google's vision of 'techno glasses': In demonstrations, the glasses are mainly voice-controlled, using voice commands to bring up contacts, send emails and search
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/13/article-2129261-1277E78E000005DC-716_468x286.jpg Google's 'heads up display': The demonstration shows off a weather forecast layered over a view of the world
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/02/03/article-2095987-03BDD2CF000005DC-620_468x286.jpg University of York's 'Virtual Cocoon': Like many head-mounted displays, it's bulky and not transparent - ie wearers cannot safely use it while moving about
DARPA - the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, thought of as the American military's 'mad scientist' wing - has been funding research on 'soldier mounted displays' for some time, but previous versions have been bulky.
The lenses, made with nano-scale engineering processes,work as a hi-tech focusing device, which allows Innovega's glasses to be considerably less bulky than previous devices.
The lenses themselves require no power, and thus can sit safely on the eyeball.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/02/03/article-2095987-1194207C000005DC-141_468x379.jpg Innovega claims that the lenses could become successful quite rapidly because of the huge number of people who already wear contact lenses worldwide
DARPA projects are often oddball technology, but it also has a history of far-sighted technological leaps.
DARPA invented the first virtual reality devices, and one of the precursors of the modern internet.
DARPA Says, 'Innovega's iOptiks are contact lenses that enhance normal vision by allowing a wearer to view virtual and augmented reality images without the need for bulky apparatus. '
'Instead of oversized virtual reality helmets, digital images are projected onto tiny full-color displays that are very near the eye.'
These novel contact lenses allow users to focus simultaneously on objects that are close up and far away.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129261/Pentagon-contact-lenses-US-troops-super-vision-electric-eye-lenses-pipe-target-information.html