Contact lens-based Google Glass competitor unveiled at CES 2014, iOptik

Imagine this. A high-tech contact lens is set to run Facebook or Twitter right in front of your eyes - in floating virtual screens dotted with information.

Washington-based startup Innovega is coming up with a natural eyewear-based platform - called iOptik - that promises to transform how we share social media. The company demonstrated the new technology at the ongoing CES 2014 tradeshow.

The two-part system depends on special contact lenses that work as a filter to let the human eye focus simultaneously on things very near and far - using rings that route light in different ways into the retina.

This works along with a pair of special glasses fitted with tiny projectors that transmit data forward onto the eyeglass lenses, said a press release issued by Innovega.

"Whatever runs on your smartphone would run on your eyewear," said Stephen Willey, Innovega CEO.

The iOptik platform provides wearers a 'virtual canvas' on which any media can be viewed or application run.

The glasses are slim and fitted with little more than the micro-projectors.

"Our optics deliver games that are truly 'immersive', movies that mimic IMAX performance, a multi-tasking dashboard that incorporates five or more typical screens - all while simultaneously providing the wearer a safe and clear view of their environment," added Willey.

"It also supports most any screen or projection design as evidenced by demonstrations at our booth of fully transparent, panoramic, HD, micro-projector eyewear, as well as a glance-able, megapixel, flat-panel solution," the release added.
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