# Telescopic Contact Lenses These Telescopic Contact Lenses Can Be Zoomed At the Blink of an Eye By Rahul Kalvapalle | Published 2015-02-17 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/telescopic-contact-lens References: [gizmag](http://www.gizmag.com/telescopic-contact-lenses-macular-degeneration-amd/36094/) & [aaas.epfl.ch](http://aaas.epfl.ch/) Researchers from [EPFL](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/High-durability-printable-materials) in Switzerland have developed contact lenses embedded with tiny telescopic lenses for improved vision. These lenses allow the wearer to zoom in on objects thanks to a magnification mechanism that is up to 2.8 times that of unaided human sight. The lenses were originally created by [DARPA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/darpa-1) as military tools capable of enhancing soldiers' vision capabilities in the field. However, they are now being promoted for a more noble application, that of acting as visual aids for people suffering from Age-related Macular Degeneration, a condition that results in a loss of sight in the center of the eye. The telescopic lenses require users to wear a set of [smart glasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lighthouse-tech) that allow them to control the zoom function, a small price to pay for enhanced eyesight. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.7/10 - Popularity: 67% | Activity: 66% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Science](https://www.trendhunter.com/science) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Telescopic Contact Lenses:** Telescopic contact lenses embedded with magnification mechanism up to 2.8 times opens the market towards new accessibility in visual aid. - **Smart Glasses:** Smart glasses enable control of the magnification in contact lenses which creates opportunities in smart eyewear industry for visual aids. - **Personalized Visual Aids:** Innovations in optometry can create opportunities to personalize and improve visual aid products for patients with eye-related conditions like Age-related Macular Degeneration. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Optometry:** Contact lenses with built-in magnification can disrupt the optical industry providing new accessibility options. - **Military and Defense:** Telescopic technology designed for military and defense can be repurposed and further developed for civilian use specifically to aid in ophthalmology. - **Smart Eyewear:** Smart glasses opens the door for new advancements in accessibility technology, specifically eyewear and internal magnification mechanisms. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Autofocus-Providing Eyewear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hightech-autofocus-eyewear.md) - [Futuristically Informed Binoculars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zoomers-binoculars.md) - [AR-Enabled Contact Lenses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mojo-vision.md) - [Blink-Moisturizing Contacts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/terasaki-institute.md) - [Adaptive Autofocus Glasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ixi-eyewear.md) - [Extra-Breathable Contact Lenses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skyhy-by-hubble.md) - [Hyper-Zoom Smartphone Lenses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sandmarc-telephoto-tetraprism.md) - [Transforming Liquid-Lens Sunglasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/32-degrees-north.md) - [Adaptive Autofocus Eyewear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ixi-2.md)