Vision Enhancement Technologies: Innovations Across the Centuries
Ancient Optical Innovations
Curiosity and a desire to improve vision have driven innovations in optical devices for centuries. The Nimrud lens, a 3,000-year-old rock crystal lens, is among the earliest examples. Vikings polished rock crystal to make decorative lenses that could concentrate sunlight to create fire.
Magnifying and Correcting Vision
In the 11th century, Ibn al-Haytham discovered the magnifying power of convex lenses. He used his own magnifying lens to read scientific treatises. Roger Bacon, an English monk, outlined designs for corrective lenses in his manuscript Opus Majus, although it’s unclear if they were ever made.
The Invention of Spectacles
Monastic scribes in Italy are credited with inventing corrective eyeglasses around the 13th century. These early spectacles consisted of two convex lenses joined together and held up to the face with a handle.
Seeing Far and Near
The first patent for a telescope was filed by Hans Lippershey in 1608. Galileo later improved upon Lippershey’s design, creating a telescope that could magnify objects even further. Lippershey, Hans Janssen, and Zacharias Janssen are also considered inventors of the microscope.
Vanity and Sunlight Protection
In the 18th century, lorgnettes allowed women to avoid wearing eyeglasses on their faces, which was considered unfashionable. Pince-nez, spectacles that pinched the bridge of the nose, became popular in the mid-19th century. In 1913, Sir William Crookes developed lenses that could absorb ultraviolet and infrared light, leading to the creation of sunglasses.
Sensory Entertainment
Morton Heilig’s Telesphere Mask (1960) combined 3D slides, stereo sound, and an odor generator. His Sensorama Simulator (1962) was an immersive cinema experience for one person. Hugo Gernsback’s TV glasses (1963) received signals via antennae and beamed channels of light directly onto a screen worn on the face.
3D Viewing
Ivan Sutherland’s Sword of Damocles (1965) was a cumbersome head-mounted unit that projected 3D images directly onto the retina. This unwieldy invention required a mechanical arm attached to the ceiling.
Private Eye and Augmented Reality
Reflection Technology’s Private Eye (1989) was a device mounted on glasses that created an interface superimposed on the real world. It was used in projects like KARMA, which allowed technical schematics to be overlaid on equipment during repairs.
Steve Mann’s Mediated Reality
Steve Mann has developed wearable and embedded technology since the 1970s. His EyeTap has evolved from a helmet-mounted device to a sleek, wearable display that records the user’s environment and superimposes imagery upon it.
Cyborgs and Eyeborgs
Neil Harbisson, a Catalan cyborg and artist, has an eyeborg permanently embedded in his skull. This device allows him to “hear” colors by converting light waves into sound frequencies. He experiences these frequencies as vibrations, which he translates into colorful artworks and sound portraits.
