Technology is advancing in a fast pace and making impossible things possible. According to a latest invention, blinds can see and perceive things and images through the camera. A British soldier completely lost his eyesight during a grenade attack. He was completely dependent on his dog to lead the way for him. He got his sight back from the latest invention of a device that helps the blind to see through their tongue.
This young 24 years old soldier is the first person to become a part of this extra ordinarily surprising technology. The device is called “Brain-Port device”. It is named because the scientists say that it is the brain, which interprets the image and not the eyes. Eyes are only a mean of capturing a visual message and send it to the brain that further interprets it.
The device has a small camera attached to the pair of sunglasses linked to a plastic lollipop, which the user places on his tongue. According the soldier, the plastic lollipop tastes like a battery. The plastic lollipop in the mouth of the user read the impulses and sends the message to the brain and a two dimensional image is formed.
The image is created by presenting white pixels from the camera as strong stimulations, grey pixels as medium levels of stimulation and black pixels as no stimulation, although interpreting the images takes intensive training. It makes possible for the user of this device to determine the shape of the things coming in from of the camera.
The use of this device is complicated and the blind soldier had to take training for its use but he reports that the device is really a worthy one and now he can pick things straight away. The image which this device makes for the user is not colourful but we should keep our hopes united as technology is very speedily taking us ahead. It really looks like as with the advancement of technology every blind person will be able to see colourful images around the world. The device has not yet arrived in the market however, manufacturers are busy in doing that and it is expected to come soon within a price range of $10,000 – $15,000.
