US startup Mojo Vision has begun developing its smart contact lens solution capable of providing heads up displays (HUDs) with augmented reality (AR) technologies, Forbes reported this week.
The Saratoga, California-based tech firm aims to help people with vision loss, and the solution comes amid a surge in wearables built to assist people with visusal impairments.
A shortage of wearables offering fully-immersive visual fields along with comfortable form factors has sparked a race for research and development (R&D) into advanced visual enhancement solutions.
But such devices will require oversight from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other agencies tasked with regulating technologies.
Beyond the Looking Glass
The news comes after the company raised $160 million USD in venture capital following its launch in 2015. Numerous firms such as Khosla Ventures, Gradient Ventures, Motorola Solutions, NEA, and many others backed the startup’s innovations, information on the company’s website shows.
The Mojo Lens will allow users to receive the benefits of both a VR headset and smart glasses in the form factor of a visual prosthetic, potentially with health and vital monitors, medical updates, and others.
According to Forbes, the product is still in the R&D phase due to the scope of the project’s complexity.
The device includes an LED display, vision image sensor and motion trackers along with a low-power radio wirelessly tethered to a computing relaying unit to process data and streaming.
Mojo Vision also entered a joint development partnership with Japanese firm Menicon to expedite development of the product as a device for people with ‘irreversibly debilitating’ visual impairments, Optometry Today reported in December last year.
