Smart Lenses: How Google's Latest Patent Could Change the World

When most people hear the word “cyborg,” they probably think of mechanical limbs, a cheesy ’80s sci-fi flick, or even something inherently dangerous to the human race. It’s a loaded term that immediately grabs our attention and imagination — and it’s a word you’ll be gradually hearing more of from news and media outlets moving forward.

This week, for instance, one compelling CNN Money headline reads: “Google wants to inject cyborg lenses into your eyeballs.” The headline is not click-bait or hyperbole, though — Google actually aims to one day put computers into our eyes.

In a recently approved patent application, Google explains a process of removing the lens of your eye, injecting fluid into your empty lens capsule, and then placing an electronic lens in the fluid. This lens would effectively turn your eyes into a pair of binoculars, giving you the ability to zoom in and out and focus on objects you couldn’t have before (weird, right?).

Google claims these lenses could be used to cure presbyopia, a condition in which a patient’s eyes stiffen, affecting their ability to focus. Google also says the lenses could treat common eye problems such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism.

But chances are Google doesn’t just want this technology for medical purposes (even if that is its starting point) — it’s likely the end game involves a world where computing can become even more pervasive than it is today, ultimately translating to more ad space for the tech giant.

Google isn’t the only company with cyborg ambitions, either. Sony, for one, is also working on a contact lens with computing power inside. A recent patent application filed by the company earlier this week covers a contact lens capable of recording whatever it is you’re looking at.

The futuristic lens includes hardware to record video, Wi-Fi to communicate with other devices, and a storage unit for recording. The device would be controlled by blinking and could be powered wirelessly from a nearby smartphone, tablet, or computer.

The privacy concerns are obvious, but humans have consistently shown a tendency to accept the added convenience as a fair trade.

Are You a Cyborg?

The idea of human beings merging with machines this way leaves some people excited and others uneasy. There are already those who embrace “cyborg culture” to extreme levels, implanting devices in their bodies that allow them to unlock their phones, open doors, turn lights on and off, or even buy a beer with a literal wave of the hand.

Then there are those of us who think these people are insane. And while in many respects this aversion to “cyborg culture” is well founded, there’s a certain level of hypocrisy that comes along with that judgment.

After all, it’s not much of a stretch to make the argument that we’re pretty much all quasi-cyborgs already. Most people can’t even make it a day, let alone an hour, without checking their mobile phones. Sure, we’re not technically attached to our devices from a physical standpoint quite yet, but for all intents and purposes we’ve become attached nonetheless.

According to one recent study by Informate Mobile Intelligence, the average American reports spending about 4.7 hours a day on their mobile devices. The numbers for younger demographics are even more striking, with teens spending as many as nine hours a day consuming media online.

These self-reported numbers may not even tell the full story, either. Research conducted by British psychologists at Nottingham Trent University shows that people use their smartphones roughly twice as much as they tend to estimate.

And while these devices aren’t physically connected to us, our constant use of them does have a physical impact. Dr. Garry W. Small from UCLA’s Brain Research Institute, for instance, has found that smartphones effectively rewire our brains, citing increased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Studies also show that smartphone use boosts our metabolism of brain glucose.

The implications of how technology affects our brains are still not completely clear, but for better or worse, the research undeniably shows just how interwoven our bodies and lives have become with computers. Alas, this is not a passing fad, but rather a rapidly advancing trend that we will be forced to embrace as the benefits of computer enhancement become too much to pass up.

The Next Stage of Computing

In the not-too-distant future, it is entirely likely that computing as we know it today will simply no longer exist. Instead of staring down at a smartphone in your hand, your entire field of vision will act as a computer screen. You’ll be able to pin a 60-inch display to a wall or read your email on the palm of your hand, augmenting reality in a way that effectively turns the world around you into a massive interface.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke to this topic in the firm’s annual letter to shareholders last week, stating that, “Looking to the future, the next big step will be for the very concept of the ‘device’ to fade away.”

Of course, this reality isn’t immediately around the corner. It will take years, likely decades, before something like computerized contacts pervade our daily lives. Most experts believe this to be an inevitable stage in computing, but it is not the next step.

The next step will instead be a midpoint between today’s handheld devices and fully embedded “device-less” computing. The next step will be augmented and virtual reality headsets such as those currently in development by the world’s most powerful and well-funded tech companies, including Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Samsung, etc.

These devices will start off large and bulky, much in the same way cell phones did, but over time they will become smaller, sleeker, and more accessible. Eventually, these headsets will take form in a pair of everyday glasses and will be as much of a fashion statement as the now-iconic iPhone.

For investors, this means an opportunity to get in on the “Next Big Thing,” the same way people had an opportunity to invest in companies like Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) leading up to the PC revolution or Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) prior to the rise of the smartphone. The trick, of course, is getting in early and knowing where to look.

Until next time,

Jason Stutman

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