How Samsung Gear Blink Contact Lenses will beat Virtual Reality by curing Blindness

Samsung has done it yet again as it relates to taking us to the cutting edge.

This time, they've received a patent for a “smart” contact lenses called Gear Blink as reported in the article “Samsung’s next wearable could be a smart contact lens called Gear Blink”, published April 6, 2016 by Robert Nazarian, DigitalTrends.

Apparently the Samsung Gear 360 is enough for them as described in my Geezam blog article entitled “How Samsung Gear 360 is a Creative Tool for YouTube VR Content”; they had to turn it up a notch, or eyelid, so to speak.

The Gear Blink patent, which was originally filed in 2014, is basically a contact lens that will house the following components:

1.      Camera

2.      Motion Sensors

3.      Transmitter

4.      Display unit

Basically, this is an augmented reality unit that pairs with your smartphone and commands are sent via blinking. Photos and videos can be viewed from your Smartphone on these contact lenses as described in the article “Where we're going we don't need headsets: Samsung receives patent for AR contact lenses”, published April 6, 2016, by Daniel Van Boom, CNET News.

So why did Samsung file this patent? Are they planning to enter the Virtual Reality wars as described in my Geezam blog article entitled “How CES 2016 is going VR thanks to HTC, Sony, Microsoft, Samsung and Oculus”  with Gear Blink contact lenses as a their solution?

Samsung and Virtual Reality contact lenses - Potentially better than VR or AR Goggles

Samsung has an interest in Virtual reality, having made the Gear VR that's been selling since November 2015 for US$99 as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “US$99 Samsung Gear VR in November 2015 is a fanboy’s VR Dream”.

However, Samsung appears to not be very serious about virtual reality, as they have no plans for a gaming console, relegating the Gear VR to being a mere add on to the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S7 as opined in my Geezam blog article entitled “Samsung Galaxy S7 Launch #TheNextGalaxyJa”. 

This latest patent might change that. These Gear Blink contact lenses would not only immerse the user into another world, but it would allow them to still interact with the real one, effectively Augmented or blended reality, whichever term you're comfortable with using.

Samsung believes AR is the way to go, as it more comfortable than VR goggles, which can strain the eye and leave you suffering from spatial disorientation, nausea and even with goggle marking on your face after prolonged usage as noted in the article “The dangers of virtual reality”, published March 29, 2016 by Scott Stein, CNET.

They also tout improved image quality, being as these contact lens rests directly on the eye. This is because it's projecting the image direct into the eye by overlaying it on reality, instead of causing eye stain by you having to look at LED/LCD screens that your eyes have to adjust.

thus it's easier, as it's more natural and is an improvement on the Google Glass, which their patent specifically mentioned and which may potentially replace smartphones as predicted in my blog article entitled “Google Glass coming to Enterprise users - Personal PC beginnings to replace smartphones and Gaming Consoles in 2016”.  

So is this better than the Google Glass, which is set to launch to relaunch in 2016 as noted in my blog article entitled “Google Glass prototype GG1 filing with FCC suggests smartphones replacement in 2016”. 

Samsung Gear Blink - Challenger to Google Glass even as Google develops Smart contact lenses

Google has long been developing a smart contact lens since 2014.

 

Coincidentally Google had filed a patent back in April 2014 for a pair of Contact Lenses with Cameras built in as described in my Geezam blog article entitled “Google Contact Lenses with Cameras will be Next-Gen Google Glass Smartphone Replacement”. 

Later that year Google in collaboration with Novartis’s Alcon Team had announced in September 2014 that they'd develop a pair of Contact Lenses that could detect Blood Sugar as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Google and Novartis develop Contact Lenses to Detect Blood Sugar and cure Blindness”.

So the idea isn't original.

But the potential for this product to totally unseat Virtual reality goggles in the future, give sight to the blind and even make smartphones smaller as predicted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Augmented Reality Contact Lens development will shrink smartphones to Feature Phone size” makes this patent hard to ignore.