Everyone will be snapping up connected contact lenses in five years (or not)

According to a study by Global Market Vision, the connected contact lens market will see an explosion in demand over the next five years. The manufacturers who will be able to ride the wave are Google, Samsung and Sony. The search engine created a subsidiary dedicated to the development of this type of product, Verily Life Sciences, a few years ago.

An optimistic study

Samsung is also at the forefront in this field, thanks to the substantive work carried out for semiconductors, screens and electronics in general. The Korean conglomerate has all the pieces of the puzzle in hand to design connected lenses or better perhaps: to become the essential supplier for manufacturers.

Sony also has a card to play, thanks to its activity in optics. Sony provides almost all smartphone manufacturers for their cameras. Despite everything, the prediction of Global Market Vision seems particularly optimistic. Verily has not yet shown any functional prototype, even if its project is ambitious: the lens would indeed integrate a sensor for measuring glucose in the blood. That would be a giant leap for millions of diabetics around the world, but so far nothing has been proven.

Before connected lenses, there will be connected glasses. However, the miniaturization technologies essential for designing a socially acceptable device are not yet there. It will also be necessary to convince all those who do not wear glasses (and also those who do and who do not particularly appreciate them)!

Lenses are certainly more discreet, but it’s even more invasive, and social acceptance (apart from people who already wear lenses) is probably even lower than for glasses. Unless connected lenses really bring something essential to everyday life, it seems a little difficult today to believe in a commercial success like that of smartphones. But who knows!