Whether the possibility of viewing the world through the eyes of a computer sounds mind-blowing or just plain creepy is a matter of perspective, no pun intended.

Some of the biggest names in technology—Google, Samsung, and Sony—have taken early steps towards making smart contacts a reality, and the implications for medicine, diabetes in particular, could be huge.

Last year, Google received a patent for a lens that monitors glucose levels. They’ve partnered with Novartis, and human testing is set for this year.

Another set of smart contact lenses, which showed promise in an early study, can be used to predict which glaucoma patients may have a form of the disease that progresses faster.