Technology behemoth Google has filed a patent for technology that uses a contact lens as an identification device.
The new patent describes a contact lens that covers all or part of the iris of the eye, and one or more light sensors embedded in the surface of the contact lens collects reflected light off the iris.
Sensors assemble an image of the iris, which is then compared with an image of the same iris contained in the memory of a computer. If the two images match, a door might be unlocked for the wearer, or a file containing privileged information might become accessible – suggesting potential uses in access control and data protection.
The desire for a biometric lens has come about due to the inconvenience of current authentication systems. ‘Unfortunately, conventional biometric systems and techniques are relatively inconvenient to use,’ states the background section of the patent application.
Last year, Google announced it was working with Novartis on a contact lens which measured blood glucose levels.