Through a Glass eye, clearly.

General Questions
#1

So I was talking to my friend the other day and he mentioned something interesting.

“My mother’s neighbor,” he said, “is getting a new glass eye this weekend.”

He then added, as a joke, “she’s getting a webcam installed in it.”

Now, this is obviously a joke, however, it got me thinking. Could one, concievably, with the technology available today, make a webcam small enouth to fit into a glass eye? A glass eye is, what, a sphere an inch in diameter? It would have to be wireless, of course, and with a limited range. Changing the batteries would be a problem.

So I guess my real question is: How small can one make a wireless webcam?

#2

The technology for making such a small camera does exist.
Spies, private eyes, and journalists use them all the time
(you ever see those fuzzy hidden camera shots in 20/20?).
An interesting aside:
Back in the 70s, scientists got hold of this blind volunteer test subject and implanted an electrode sensor lattice to the visual cortex of his brain. This was attached to a camera, via a port or jack in the back of his skull.
(It looked just like THE MATRIX!!!)
This subject responded that he could sense the difference between a plus and a minus sign.
(This was shown on NOVA or NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, I forget which)
I figure, an eye shaped camera transmitting to such a visual lattice or array implanted in the brain could be the bionic eye prophesiesed on The Six Milion Dollar Man.

To power it, they’ed use an induction coil (Like they do with cochlear implants) with a rechargable battery pack worn on the belt, or in a pocket.
(I figure, an implanted battery pack, like in a pacemaker, would draw too much power and be a hassle.)

#3

No, it could best be described as a glass bowl (sort of crescent shaped if you would cut it into two halves), made by inverted glassblowing. You start with a sphere, all right, that you heat and suck the air out from to get the shape that you want. It’s quite interesting to see it done.

A sphere just wouldn’t fit in the eye socket (at least not mine).

#4

I’ll bet this wireless video camera would work, with a little modification:

Swallow This: A Pill That Peers Into Your Gut

It measures just 11mm x 30mm, and costs $300.00