Sony/U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Sony filed a patent for contact lenses that can record video.

Tech giant Sony has joined the race to develop digital contact lens technology.

Sony has plans for a wearable lens that can take photos and video, according to an application filed with the U.S. patent office, Tech Story reported.

Sony filed a patent in the U.S. in May of 2013 for a smart contact lens — a fact only picked up by the media this week.

The device would not only take photos and video, but store data, with no need for a tether to a smartphone.

The lens would feature an organic electroluminescence display screen, according to the patent.

By blinking an eye, the user would be able to operate the lens via the display. The camera would feature autofocus, automatic exposure adjustment and an adjustable zoom. The device would also be able to record video, store it and play it back.

The news that Sony has been working on this technology for several years follows a trend set by Google and Samsung.

In 2014, Google revealed a high-tech lens to help diabetics measure glucose levels in their tears. The same year, Samsung filed a patent in South Korea for a smart contact lens that houses a tiny camera.

SOURCES: US Patent and Trademark Office, Tech Story