# Pentagon Wants To Pimp Soldiers Eyes 'Videogame' Style Contact Lenses By Ayman | Published 2008-03-23 | Unique Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pentagon-contact-lenses References: [gizmodo](http://gizmodo.com/370414/darpa-wants-contact-lenses-to-turn-real+life-combat-into-call-of-duty-4) & [fbo.gov](http://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/SN08-23/Synopsis.html) Trend Hunter has covered bionic contact lenses before, but now the Pentagon wants in the game: Today's technology allows soldiers with advanced gear to see digital maps through helmet-mounted monocles and pilots to get information on [heads-up displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fov). But the latest project from DARPA, the Pentagon's blue sky science and technology division, will enable troops to see an info-"augmented" reality all around them, via contact lenses that provide "[first-person shooter-type video game](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vividq-call-of-duty)" environments. The agency's Information Processing Techniques Office announced that it's looking for information on "the creation of micro- and nano-scale display technologies for the purpose of creating displays that could be worn as transparent contact lenses." If this seems too far-fectched or in the far-off future for you, they expect the technology to be ready in "three to five years." The Pentagon release notes, "A limiting factor to un-tethered augmented and/or mixed reality applications is the bulkiness, power consumption, cost, limited resolution, and limited field of view of head-mounted displays. DARPA seeks to leap beyond incremental, evolutionary enhancement of head-mounted display technologies to a see-through contact lens on which images can be displayed. This information might be command-and-control information, not unlike information provided to players of first-person, shooter-type video games or synthetic entities and effects in a live training environment." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.8/10 - Popularity: 85% | Activity: 80% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/unique) > [Inventions](https://www.trendhunter.com/inventions) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Microtechnology-display Augmented Reality:** Developing microtechnology display to be worn as transparent contact lenses that would offer an augmented reality, can be a leading technology for a new wave of immersive entertainment and also a game-changing head-up display in several industries such as aviation or automotive. - **Bionic Contact Lenses:** Creating bionic contact lenses that can provide heads-up display or direct output from micro-sensors can revolutionize prosthesis fields and wearable health-tech. - **First-person Shooter-type Game Environment:** Developing technology that provides an augmented reality resembling the environment of a first-person shooter-type game, could have game-changing implications for military training and simulation industries. ### Where This Applies - **Military:** The use of see-through contact lenses could change the landscape of military training and simulation. - **Health Technology:** People with weak sight can use bionic lenses to support eye health by providing direct output from micro-sensors embedded in the lens. - **Gaming:** The development of first-person shooter-type game environment through contact lenses could launch a new wave of immersive gaming, offering consumers experiences beyond the capability of traditional consoles or VR headsets. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Augmented Helicopter Helmet Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/helmet-display.md) - [Spiralled Shape Contact Lenses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spiral-diopter.md) - [Featherlight 4K Micro-OLED Eyewear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lenovo-legion-gen-2.md) - [Superhuman Sight AR Glasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/utrack-ar.md) - [Autofocus-Providing Eyewear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hightech-autofocus-eyewear.md) - [Smart Safety Glasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lucyd-armor.md) - [DIY AR-Functioned Monocle Clip-Ons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monocle-1.md) - [AR-Powered Eye Training Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eyes-amblyopia-trainer.md) - [AR-Enabled Ski Rescue Helmets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/argus-ar-helmet.md)