Augmented reality contact lenses from Mojo Vision ready for testing

Mojo Vision's ambitions for augmented reality

A connected contact lens capable of providing real-time information about the environment around us? That's the challenge Californian start-up Mojo Vision set itself in 2015.

1. The principles of augmented reality

Augmented reality has become LE the playground for companies to stand out from the crowd and constantly innovate. By superimposing 2D and 3D elements in the real world, the augmented reality is making more and more headlines and invading the market with ever more innovations.

2. Mojo Vision: futuristic ambitions

Mojo Visionthe Californian start-up specialising in the design of augmented reality solutions, is responding to the needs of the visually impaired with its Mojo Lens project. By combining its medical expertise with the power of augmented reality, it has set itself the challenge of designing contact lenses equipped with augmented reality.

3. Let's talk finances!

A total of eight rounds of financing were required to bring this project to fruition, raising a total of $205 million. Investors included Liberty Global Ventures, Amazon Alexa Fund, Edge Investments, Advantech Capital, Motorola Solutions and many others.

Contact

How do augmented reality lenses work?

1. Lens functions in augmented reality

Improving vision is one of Mojo Vision's main objectives. The connected augmented reality lenses will make everyday tasks easier for visually impaired people. They will be able to warn of any danger thanks to the precise and optimal tracking of their eyes.

But that's not all! With the augmented reality lenses, the start-up also wants to give sportspeople real-time information about their efforts (heart rate, distance covered, speed, routes, etc.).

In the professional world, the lens can also be very beneficial and facilitate the perception of an object. For the complex manufacture of an aircraft engine, there is no longer any need to go back and forth with the eyes between the diagram and the engine, the lenses allow a virtual diagram to be superimposed over the engine and thus facilitate the work of a technician.

2. Composition of the Mojo Lens

This contact lens is made up of multiple electronic components, including :

a 0.5 millimetre diameter microLED panel
an accelerometer
a gyroscope
a magnetometer

This means that information can be displayed while the eye is still moving. An ARM Core M0 processor and a radio antenna are also integrated to transmit data and display it on the virtual screen. All this works in symbiosis and is powered by micro-batteries.

3. The comfort of augmented reality lenses

In terms of comfort, the lenses are hard and scleral, which means that they do not rest directly on the cornea but on the sclera, which is the white membrane that envelops the eye. So there's no need to worry about any discomfort they might cause on contact with the eye.

To ensure that they are completely adapted to the eye, a simple visit to an optometrist will be needed to obtain the exact dimensions and shape of the eyeball of the future owner of this little marvel. Then, like a jigsaw puzzle, the inside of the lens will be cut to perfectly fit the small irregularities of the eye and provide optimum comfort for the wearer.

4. How do I recharge Mojo Lens?

The Mojo Lens are equipped with a miniaturised solid-state battery that enables them to be used continuously throughout the day. Charging is carried out by a wireless system, subtly concealed behind an iris painted in the colour of the user's eye.

Once the lenses have been removed, they can be stored in a specially designed case for recharging overnight. Like a mobile phone, the battery lasts all day, and when the day's work is done, all that's left to do is plug it into the mains for optimal use the next day.

Connected lenses: from prototype to tests

After several years of developmentAfter eight years of hard work, the Mojo Lens finally saw the light of day in 2022. An in-house prototype was shown to the general public and real-world testing began.

Throughout the development process, a number of issues were taken into account. For example, when you blink, the lens moves, which has an impact on the virtual content that the user is viewing. To resolve this, several electronic elements were added to the lens, making it even more functional.

It was in June 2022 that the connected lens was tested for the first time. Drew Perkins, CEO of Mojo Vision, volunteered himself and the results were clear: the connected lenses worked like a charm! Thanks to further tests, further improvements have been made to the prototypes, enabling the best version of the lens to be offered to users.