HMDs to EMDs

There have been a lot of discussions over the years regarding the usefulness of head-mounted displays (HMDs). While there has been a lot of promising research, the big issue is, frankly, the size and bulkiness of the displays (especially when trying to integrate into the gear of Soldiers and Marines who already have helmets and are maxed on what they are carrying). The solution = eye-mounted displays.

This was one of the interesting items I heard while I was over in Singapore (sort of ironic that I had to travel to Singapore to hear about something that was being done in the states). A research team at the University of Washington has created contact lenses with micro-circuitry (read Article 1 and Article 2). The first article touches on some of the applications that this technology could have (i.e. displays for pilots, video-game projections, and telescopic vision for soldiers). Really, the applications are endless (think augmented reality applications for driving, working, etc.). Granted, this is still a long ways off, but definitely has the potential to deliver all of the promises (and then some) of HMDs in the size of a contact lens.