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Aussie Government Offers $40M To Build a Bionic Eye

Posted by timothy on from the the-6-million-dollar-man-should-cash-in dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Australian Government is keen to replicate the success of the Cochlear Implant (bionic ear) by throwing AU$50M (US$40M) of funding at the development of a bionic eye. Bionic eyes have been trialed with some success in the UK — with recipients able to detect senses of shape and space, but very little detail."

1 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Re:$50M for an Eye...Really? by Ukab+the+Great · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Supposedly there are 50,000 blind people in Australia.

    http://www.bca.org.au/natpol/statistics/2005_Blind_Stats_num_and_perc_by_State_Territory_CERA.htm

    $50,000,000 breaks down to $1000/blind person.

    I'd guess that the cost in social services to help blind people probably exceeds $1000/yr per person (i.e. well over $50,000,000). Therefore it would make economic sense to cure blindness.