We now live in an age where radical technology can help the blind to see, an impressive enough accomplishment in its own right that gets even more mind-bending when you consider what’s it means for the future. UV vision? Eyeballs that zoom in and out like a camera lens? It’s coming!
The implant, called a retinal prosthesis, consists of a small electronic chip that is placed at the back of the eye to send visual signals directly into the optic nerve. This bypasses the damaged cells in the man's retina.
The bionic eye doesn't have enough electrodes to recreate the details of human faces, but for the first time since he lost his vision, the man can make out the outlines of people and things, and walk without a cane.
But the vision people get with the bionic eye isn’t like typical sight. They see contrast and edges of objects, but only in black and white. The ability to naturally see light and color has been eliminated by damage to various cells in the eyes, but with enough use, the brain learns how to make sense of these images that appear from the electrode’s signals. Argus II users have reported successfully reading large-print books, crossing the street on their own, navigating an unfamiliar home, or seeing images of their spouse for the first time in decades.
Unfortunately, the Argus II is not able to lift them people out of technical blindness, which in America is 20/200. The best that users have reported is about 20/1000. But upgrades are coming. And here’s where things get really interesting.
The next iteration of the Argus II will include the ability to perceive colors, using algorithms that measure electrode stimulations, according to Second Sight. The device will provide sharper images, and be able to focus eyesight like we do a computer screen, increasing resolution and brightness.
I founded the Blog DepoTech in January 2015. Self-taught in development, I have always pushed my curiosity about the topics,Web and Tech news.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon