Eye-Tracking Contact Lens for Hands-Free Camera Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users in situations like armed patrolling or driving cannot effectively control remote cameras without hand or voice involvement, especially in noisy environments where voice commands are impractical.
Innovation Solution
A contact lens system with embedded sensors and a miniature video projector that allows users to control remote cameras through eye movements, enabling pan, tilt, and zoom controls by tracking eye movements and projecting virtual content onto the user's retina.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If voice commands are used for camera control, then hands-free operation is achieved, but the system becomes impractical in noisy environments or when silence is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary control mechanism (eye-tracking system with contact lens sensors) that mediates between the user's intent and camera control, replacing voice commands as the intermediary channel. This allows hands-free operation while being insensitive to acoustic environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the acoustic field-based voice command system with an optical/electronic eye-tracking system using contact lens sensors and projectors, substituting a mechanical/acoustic control mechanism with an optical one that is not affected by noise levels.
2Measurement precision
If hand control is used for camera operation, then precise control is achieved, but the user cannot control cameras during tasks requiring both hands
Solution Approach 1:
The eye-tracking system enables the user to control the camera using their own physiological signals (eye movements) without requiring external intermediaries or sacrificing task performance, making the control system self-contained and always accessible.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions control from the manual dimension (hand operations) to the visual dimension (eye movements), adding a new control dimension that does not conflict with hand-based task execution while maintaining precise control capability.
3Ease of operation
If eye-tracking sensors are embedded in contact lenses, then non-intrusive control is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions (eye-tracking sensors, display projector, control processing) into a single contact lens device, consolidating the complexity into one integrated unit that provides natural eye-based control without requiring multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens system serves multiple functions: it acts as an eye-tracking sensor, a display device for virtual content, and a control interface for camera operations, making the complex device universally applicable to various control scenarios.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure and convenient remote camera control without hands or voice, allowing users to interact with virtual scenes and adjust camera settings intuitively using eye movements, even in noisy or silent conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the motion sensor tracks at least one of a position, an orientation, or a motion of an eye
Implementation Method 2
a projector to project the virtual content onto a retina
Data Source
AI summary
Presented in the present disclosure are system and methods embodiments that allow a user to wear a contact lens that provide a virtual framework for the user to retrieve information from one or more remote cameras and implement remote camera control via eye movement tracked by one or more motion sensors embedded within the contact lens. The remote camera control may include, but not limited to, pan, tilt, and zoom control. A user may activate projection of content captured from a remote camera and control the remote camera via an established communication link. The communication link may be a direct link or indirect link via one or more intermediate devices, e.g., a server and/or an accessory device. This unique way of projection activation and camera control by tracking eye movement provides a convenient and secure way for remote camera control without involvement of hands or voices.