London, Jan 27 (UNI) An electronic contact lens that will eventually provide computer-aided vision akin to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger's robotic character in the Terminator films has been developed.

The bionic lens has microscopic circuits fixed to a flexible plastic and will enable maps and videos to be beamed before the wearer's eyes.

By using the lens, drivers and pilots would have essential information, like their speed and direction, superimposed in front of their eyes.

A prototype of the lens has been built, with Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) embedded in it to flash up information. Its built-in antenna will use wireless technology, similar to that used in homes, to beam information to the lens, allowing wearers to surf the internet without taking their eyes off the world around them.

Babak Parviz, the electrical engineer behind the project at the University of Washington, plans more sophisticated components to show detailed pictures, and it is possible to include a zoom function, the daily telegraph reported.

The lenses have been tried on animals but there will be tough safety tests before the technology is developed for people.

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