This is one way of dealing with the growing reports of backlash against the “Glassholes” who insist on wearing Google Glass everywhere.
Google has a patent for contact lenses that have a built-in micro camera, which the wearer controls by blinking.
The news of the patent follows the recent announcement by Google that it has also developed a smart contact lens that measures glucose levels in tears using a tiny chip and miniaturized sensors.
The glucose-measuring contact lenses have health benefits, allowing people with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar levels in real time.
The benefits of the new type of smart Google contact lens, with built-in cameras, are not so clear.
One use could be that it would help vision-impaired people by warning them of obstacles ahead.
But another use, like with the Google Glass smart spectacles, is that they could be worn by people who like to wear their hearts on their sleeves and their technology on their eyeballs.
The camera-fitted contact lenses could detect light, color, movement or faces. The camera lens would be positioned on the eyeball below the pupil so that it would not impair vision.
One of the objections to Google Glass spectacles is that you don’t know when someone might be taking your picture, assuming you don’t notice the light on the side of the glasses or hear the person issue the “OK Google Glass” command.
That problem is potentially overcome by moving the smarts into a contact lens.
Sure, you may not know if someone wearing a future version of Google contact lenses is taking your picture. But they also don’t know that you potentially could be taking their picture.
And perhaps that ignorance could be bliss.
This article originally appeared on News.com.au.