If you thought Google Glass was crazy, this might just blow your mind. How about a wearable device that actually goes in your eye?
Google first revealed plans for smart contact lenses in January, and now it has found a partner to help make them a reality. The search giant on Tuesday confirmed it has licensed the technology to pharmaceutical giant Novartis, which plans to develop and commercialize special contact lenses to help improve eye care and manage diseases like diabetes.
"We are looking forward to working with Google to bring together their advanced technology and our extensive knowledge of biology to meet unmet medical needs," Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez said in a statement. "This is a key step for us to go beyond the confines of traditional disease management, starting with the eye."
The lenses, developed by the semi-secret Google X team, contain a "tiny wireless chip" and sensors that measure the glucose level in tears to calculate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Under the agreement, Google and Novartis's eye-care division Alcon will collaborate to create smart lenses for those with diabetes and the eye condition presbyopia.
For diabetics, the lenses will be able to wirelessly connect with a mobile device and offer "continuous, minimally invasive measurement of the body's glucose levels," the companies said. The lenses also have the potential to provide "accommodative vision correction" to those living with presbyopia who can no longer read without glasses. They may, for instance, be able to help restore the eye's natural autofocus on near objects.
"Our dream is to use the latest technology in the miniaturization of electronics to help improve the quality of life for millions of people," Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin said in a statement. "We are very excited to work with Novartis to make this dream come true."
The deal comes just days after Google X Director Babak Parviz, who founded and led the company's smart contact lens project, announced he is leaving the Mountain View search giant for a new job at Amazon.