Abstract
Biotic telescopes are the most effective visual aid available for distance vision, yet they are frequently rejected by people with low vision due to their appearance. We describe a novel design built completely inside the spectacle lens that uses embedded mirrors inside the carrier lens for optical pathway folding and conventional lenses or curved mirrors for power. A tilt of the ocular mirror enables the wearer to view simultaneously the magnified field above the unmagnified view of the uninterrupted horizontal field, which may be important for safety and aid in image navigation. This telescope can be produced as a commodity ophthalmic lens blank and surfaced to include the wearer prescription. We have tested a family of possible designs for Galilean and Keplerian telescopes using either laminated lenses, embedded curved mirrors, and polarizing converging beam splitters. We have analyzed these designs through computer simulations and prototyped the designs to demonstrate the feasibility of such devices and provide insight to the following qualities: magnification, image quality, field-of-view, distortion, and their utility in vision multiplexing, Although the in-the-lens telescope design is not invisible, it's low profile, compactness, and transparent components attract less attention than current bioptics while maintaining similar or better visual performance.