The mouth contains electronic lollipop blind people "see" things with their tongues
According to a report in the British "Daily Mail" on September 2, American scientists recently invented an electronic device that can help blind people and people with low vision to "review the light." It allows blind people to "see" things through their tongues.
To "see" things through the tongue
This device is called "brain port visual equipment," also known as "electronic lollipop." It consists of a pair of sunglasses, a phone-sized controller and a lollipop-shaped electrode. Scientists first installed a 1-inch (2.5-cm) mini-digital camera in the lens of the eyeglasses to capture the surrounding objects. These collected light signals are then passed through a cable to a handheld controller where they are converted into electronic pulse signals.
The electronic pulse signal arrives at the electrodes contained in the user's mouth and continuously stimulates the nerves on the surface of the tongue, thereby transmitting this stimulus to the brain. Finally, the brain completes the task of converting the electronic pulse signal back to the image.
Can zoom in and out
This device is actually equivalent to a retina. The user can also use the zoom function of the controller to zoom in or out of the image, and also to adjust the contrast of the picture and the stimulus intensity of the electronic pulse signal. Scientists have let some blind volunteers try it out. After just one day of practice, the four volunteers soon learned how to find the door, the elevator button, and even read the letter. After seeing the first letter, a blind person who has been blind for many years burst into tears with excitement.
Each priced at £6,000
At present, this invention has been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for approval. Once passed, it will start selling in the United States by the end of this year and then enter the global market. It is reported that each unit sells for around 6,000 pounds (approximately RMB 66,000 yuan).