Move over, flying cars. Also, 3d-printing living cells onto internal organs, your moment in the limelight is over. For here come smart contact lenses.
Despite its unfortunate publishing date—Apr 1st—the article in IEEE Spectrum on smart contact lenses powered by solar cells and blinking seems to refer to a genuine invention.
An article in the journal Small on March 13, 2024, by Erfan Pourshaban et al. introduces a self-contained on-the-eye power source. Their device combines flexible silicon solar cells with an electrochemical harvester based on the principle of metal-air batteries. This harvester is activated by the blinking motion and uses tear electrolytes for the harvesting. Finally, the two energy generators were integrated with a power management circuit for a stable voltage and to compensate for weak solar cell performance under low-light conditions.
According to Pourshaban et al., their self-standing power pack could even power drug delivery systems, diabetic sensors, or readout sensors in smart contact lenses.
I haven’t seen much mainstream reporting on this, but it sounds very exciting to me! The technology has so far been tested on a curved platform that emulates the human eyeball with a 3d-printed eyelid. A long way is still needed for any actual human use, I’d imagine, but the treatment of various eye-related complaints such as glaucoma, dryness, chronic ocular surface inflammation, and vision issues might become much easier. There may also be potential for more science-fictional uses, like in-eye displays.
What an amazing time we live in!
Co-Geeking 
I’ve read this post three times and I’m still flabbergasted that something like this is possible! Astonishing!
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