A haptics system for retaining an accommodating intraocular lens (AIOL) in a human eye has an anterior surface and a posterior surface, and at least one shape memory optical element resiliently elastically deformable between a natural shape with a first Diopter strength and a deformed shape with a second Diopter strength different than the first Diopter strength whereby the AIOL has a continuously variable Diopter strength between a minimum Diopter strength for distance vision purposes and a maximum Diopter strength for near vision purposes. The haptics system includes a main body with a longitudinal axis intended to be co-directional with the human eye's visual axis and at least two haptics tangentially extending from said main body in opposite directions in a plane perpendicular to the haptics system's longitudinal axis, and each with at least one pointed puncturing member for penetrating the tough connective tissue of the human eye's sclera for self-anchoring implantation in the human eye's annular ciliary sulcus at at least two spaced apart stationary anchor points for retaining the AIOL along the human eye's visual axis.
