(via Engadget)
We may not actually be to the point of super-vision via bionic eyes, but work continues to advance the field. The subject of this article, Cheri Robertson, calls herself robo-chick.
More than a million people in the United States are legally blind. Many of them once had vision but tragically lost it. Now a breakthrough device could give them back some of their sight.
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Robertson is blind, but this device allows her to see, not with her eyes but with her brain! Fifteen years ago, she lost both of her eyes in a car accident. She was just 19 years old.
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A camera on the tip of Robertson’s glasses sends signals to a computer that’s strapped around her waist. The computer then stimulates electrodes in the brain through a cord that attaches to the head. Patients see flashes of light and outlines of objects.
As computers get more powerful, patients are expected to see less light flashes and more views of the world. The surgery is currently done in Portugal, but hopefully will be available in the US in the next few years. Be sure to read the full article for more information – it really sounds pretty cool.
[tags]Restoring vision[/tags]