AFTER GLASS ITS LENS TIME FOR GOOGLE

GoogleX developers are not only making computers wearable and cars driverless—they're also using their expertise to help diabetics keep a watchful eye on their health. The announcement came last Thursday on Google’s blog, where project co-founders Brian Otis and Babak Parviz detailed their new invention.

The contact lens uses processing chips and a glucose sensor that have been specially miniaturized for the task, so small that they look like flakes of glitter. Next to them lies an antenna thinner than a human hair. The sensor detects glucose levels in the wearer’s tears, taking readings once per second, and the antenna transmits its findings to an external device.

This bionic sensor could make a real difference in quality-of-life for diabetics, who have to monitor their blood sugar levels throughout the day.