The internet of disposable things starts with these smart contact lenses
The future is here

The prototype for a smart contact lens points to a future where "just about any object" can connect to the internet, "even disposable ones," said Tom Simonite at TechnologyReview.com. Shyam Gollakota, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, demonstrated a Wi-Fi-connected contact lens last month at MIT to showcase a new technology dubbed "backscatter."
Gollakota's method allows devices without batteries to communicate and power themselves by harvesting and recycling signals from Wi-Fi devices or radio and TV stations. Gollakota and his grad students have also created a skin patch that can sense temperature and respiration, and a concert poster that broadcasts snippets of a band's music over FM radio. Gollakota said his startup, Jeeva Wireless, is in talks with a large drug company about adding wireless connectivity to disposable medical products.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published