A blind man can now see through his tongue

Thanks to the latest developments of technology, a British soldier who got seriously wounded in Iraq, and lost his sight due to the wounds, is now capable of recognizing shapes around him, walking without aid and even read, thanks to BrainPort, a device which uses electro-tactile stimulations as a surrogate of eyesight.

At a first glance, it looks just like your MP3 player, but it is connected on one end with a pair of special glasses, while on the other end there is a sensor, similar to the one that your dentist would use to take a dental X-ray, which is placed under its user’s tongue.

Inside these glasses, there is a small video camera connected to the sensor by means of a small tube. The camera sends signals to the sensor via this tube, and thanks to tiny electrical pulses it is possible to recognize lines and shapes, which are then turned into two-dimensional black and white images.
This system is still in its experimental stage, in fact the tube which connects the glasses to the sensor makes it mandatory for its user to keep his mouth closed, thus making it impossible to carry out normal activities like eating, drinking or talking.

To solve this problem, researchers are considering the idea of placing a fixed sensor, to be located for example behind the dental arc. The soldier on whom it is being tested is fully satisfied, and although he is certainly far from having a normal life, certainly BrainPort is doing a lot for his morals.

For people with a very low eyesight (but not blind), an interesting remedy could be using a pair of night vision glasses, which work on a similar principle, as they use a camera which projects images directly on the patient’s retina, allowing him to get oriented normally and without assistance, by day or even at night.

Praise for our night vision glasses

Those who work in the security and privacy field are generally not too prone to boasting, but a letter that we just received makes us feel that there is more to our job than spy gear and surveillance devices, that sometimes we are able to help people in need.

Here is the full text:

“You have no idea how much these Night Vision Glasses have helped me! After a severe retinal detachment, I was left legally blind and with almost no night vision at all. I own a small business, and not being able to function at night has really made it very difficult for me to meet customers after dark. With my new night glasses, I can now get around at night and can do all the things I was not able to do previously.

It’s amazing how Eyenight glasses work! I can now see just as good whether it’s noon or midnight! In the past, I have used many different flashlights in order to get around at night, but it was always difficult, especially on rainy evenings when the light from these flashlights didn’t illuminate sidewalks and steps very well.

Now I can walk down the darkest streets without any fear of tripping over a curb or falling. I was so scared to be out at night before, worried that I would fall. No longer!

I would recommend these glasses for anyone in my same position. I feel like I have my life back!”

I guess there is no comment to be added; just that receiving such letters really strengthens our belief in our job not only as a service, but as a mission. Thanks to all our faithful customers for helping us carry this mission out!