Forget about 20/20. "Perfect" vision could be redefined by
gadgets that give you the eyes of a cyborg. The surface of the
eye can be used to measure much of the same data you would get
from blood tests. The tech industry calls the digital enrichment
of the physical world "augmented reality." Such technology is
already appearing in smartphones and toys, and enthusiasts dream
of a pair of glasses we could don to enhance our everyday
perception. But why stop there? Scientists, eye surgeons,
professors and students at the University of Washington have
been developing a contact lens containing one built-in LED,
powered wirelessly with radio frequency waves. Eventually, more
advanced versions of the lens could be used to provide a wealth
of information, such as virtual captions scrolling beneath every
person or object you see. Significantly, it could also be used
to monitor your own vital signs, such as body temperature and
blood glucose level. Why a contact lens? The surface of the eye
contains enough data about t