We’re strolling into Star Trek territory here, folks, and there’s no turning back. Researchers at the University of Southern California and the Doheny Retina Institute have created a prosthetic retina that can allow the blind to detect light/motion and identify objects. We’ve seen a few of these things before using photosensors hooked up to a few distinct nerves which allowed for a very strange form of synesthesia that gives some light sensitivity but these things sound a bit more powerful.
They’re not going to be driving any time soon (although I recall reading of an earlier, similar project where the patient did drive around), but to be able to “figure out the spatial orientation of a bar or the capital letter L-with 61 to 80 percent accuracy” is amazing.
Six previously blind patients detect light, motion, identify objects with retinal prostheses [EurekaAlert]
