Diabetes is a huge growing problem affecting 1 in 19 people on the planet. Uncontrolled blood sugar puts people at risk for a range of dangerous complications, some short-term and others longer term, including damage to the eyes, kidneys and heart.

Google is testing a smart contact lens that's built to measure glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material. They are investigating the potential for this to serve as an early warning for the wearer, so they are exploring integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed above or below certain thresholds.

There is still a lot more work to do to turn this technology into a system that people can use. Google plans to look for partners who are experts in bringing products like this to market.