Everywhere you look these days, there’s a computer chip. Today, we’re going to see how these bits of silicon are going to help blind people see, on Engineering Works!
First, a quick anatomy lesson. We see things in front of us because our eyes focus images of what they’re looking at onto specialized cells inside. Sort of like focusing a camera. These cells pass on the image to the optic nerve at the back of our eye, which connects to our brains. Simple, right?
Normally, this works pretty well. But sometimes, because of diseases like macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, those cells stop working. You can’t see any more.
This is where the computer chip comes in. Scientists and engineers have come up with a nifty little device that replaces those malfunctioning cells with a tiny computer chip. Combine it with an equally tiny video camera and it’s like seeing. Almost.
The computer chip floats inside your eye, right in front of those malfunctioning cells. A bundle of electrodes connect it to the optic nerve. The video camera rides on a frame that you’d wear like spectacles. It transmits its images to the chip by radio.
Some real engineering went into this thing. The computer chip is designed to have the same bouyancy as the fluid inside your eye. That means that it stays put where it needs to be, even when your eye moves. And the chip gets its power from the radio signal that carries the video image. No batteries to change.
It won’t be exactly like seeing, at least at first. But it will be a lot better than seeing nothing at all. The first versions should be available in a year or two. And the designers expect new versions now on the drawing board will be better. So, keep your eye on the chip.