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DoE-Sponsored Project Readies Human Trial For Artificial Retinas
An anonymous reader writes "'The blind will see again,' could be the motto of the Artificial Retina Project, which is getting ready to implant a 60-pixel artificial retina chip into 10 blind patients later this year. 60-pixels doesn't sound like much, but the 1st gen artificial retina brought tears to the eyes of its six recipients, who claim they can now count large objects with just 16-pixels. If all goes well, a 200-pixel retina will be ready in three years; the chip used is of a 1.2-micron CMOS process, with both power and video supplied wirelessly." (And this is sponsored by the Department of Energy for what reason?)
"...wirelessly transmits images to a belt pack containing a microprocessor that processes the video signal" In other news, the encryption scheme for these devices was broken. The only side effect is the blind with these implants have reported seeing a smiley face with the words, "I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes" circling around the face.
This is nearing the equivalent of Jordi LaForge's visor. In fact, we could probably create a cheap version of it with a little product design. From what I saw of the 1st-gen, it makes the patient look like a total geek with a web cam over their eye. Not much better than a kid wearing a gauze eye-patch. Even MIT's newer wearable computer enthusiasts are more attractive. But to really match sci-fi, we need to approach the idea of detaching the eye and replacing it with a fully functional robotic implant. At least we're seeing some progress. It's amazing how far it is in comparison to paralysis treatment.
For the same reason the Department of Commerce is responsible for our atomic clocks?
Seriously though, the DOC, DOE, etc., each have a variety of national labs, each of which have many areas of research. I'd suppose the DOE's expertise in high-reliability sensors (for light and all other wavelengths of radiation) is one reason why they mesh well with this project.
I wish this had been developed in time for Dan Alderson to have gotten one. The last two years he was at JPL, I was his "seeing eye person" because diabetic retinopathy had ruined his vision. Jerry Pournelle once dedicated a book to him, calling him "the sane genius." Among other things, Dan wrote the navigation software that was used by Project Voyager, and he was still doing things that most programmers would have sworn were impossible when his health failed completely and he was forced to retire.
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its 16 neural brain connections, not necessarily 16 pixel camera.
My guess is because of the difficulty in connecting 300,000+ (how exactly is color encoded for the brain?) wires/electrodes to the optical nerve (or directly to the brain?) accurately in a confined space.
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I for one welcome our cyborg overlords!
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
You know, it would be really great if /. armchair scientists were really in an armchair watching science reports like it was a football game. Then you could see how ridiculous you're being:
Announcer: Dr. Hausinsphincter steps back, takes the chip, and inserts it into the eye of the patient.
Announcer #2: That's an equivalent 60 pixel chip I believe he's trying there Bob. /. Know It All: 60 pixels! Awww what? Come on Hausinsphincter grow a pair! That's fucking rediculous! Get some of those stem cell's in on that shit and grow those connections!
Announcer: And now the patient is trying out the chip. Looks like he can see large objects, but no reading for him yet Carl.
Announcer #2: That's right Bob. Maybe in a few years. /. Know It All: Well thank you VERY MUCH Hausinsphincter! That's $300 I didn't need. Dammit...wonder what's on the Linux Kernel Update channel....