Are We Ready for Smart Contact Lenses

The aim of this study was to delve into the acceptability of smart contact lenses, to understand their viability on the market. We identified that the technology is being developed but the reaction it will have on potential buyers is not yet known. To achieve this, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was used and adapted to an online questionnaire that was answered by 200 people, from Portugal (106) and Colombia (94). Considering that one is from Latin America and the other from Europe, two countries in opposite continents and with different cultures and contexts, the main hypothesis is that there will be a difference in the acceptance of smart contacts lenses between Portugal and Colombia. Additionally, it was hypothesized that people would be scared of using smart contact lenses and would be focused on the negative potential of the new product, like the lack of privacy. The main results did not reveal statistically relevant differences between the two countries (significant difference was found just for the Social Influence construct). Considering the whole sample, the results show that people tend to not be ready for smart contact lenses in their everyday life yet, but they are open to the idea of using them in specific situations that could help them improve their lives and work (healthcare, information), which is a great opportunity for interaction design.