Mar 5 2009Blind Man Sees The Light With Bionic Eye
Ron is a 73-year old who went blind 30 years ago due to mysterious circumstances (the article didn't say). He hasn't been able to see anything since. I'm talking nothing. Pure blackness. But now, thanks to bionic eye surgery, he can finally see the light (again). Did somebody say laser vision? PEW PEW!
It uses a camera and video processor mounted on sunglasses to send captured images wirelessly to a tiny receiver on the outside of the eye. In turn, the receiver passes on the data via a tiny cable to an array of electrodes which sit on the retina - the layer of specialised cells that normally respond to light found at the back of the eye.
When these electrodes are stimulated they send messages along the optic nerve to the brain, which is able to perceive patterns of light and dark spots corresponding to which electrodes have been stimulated.He says he can now follow white lines on the road, and even sort socks, using the bionic eye, known as Argus II.
Whoa whoa whoa -- let's slow down a minute. I'm all for bionic eyes, but don't you think it's a little early to be out on the road? Just saying. Quick Ron, how many fingers am I holding up? *POW* -- a fistful! Ron, can you see me? Ron? Uh-oh. Bionic eyes aren't expensive, are they? Looks like he might need a nose too.
Bionic eye gives blind man sight [bbcnews]
Thanks to Mal, who can see you through the internet. Mal, now describe to me what the ladies are wearing.
Reader Comments
1. killerabbit - March 5, 2009 1:55 PM
Mmm...cyborgy.
2. Cade - March 5, 2009 2:01 PM
Nice. That is rather groovy. Now, I only wonder how long until the eyes themselves will be replaced by these cameras. Hmm... I would like to know how good the images are compared to his memory of sight 30 years ago.
3. austin james - March 5, 2009 2:05 PM
thats nice to see that medical community isdoing some good for others
keep it up fellas
4. Ashy - March 5, 2009 2:06 PM
a bionic eye for a 73 year old? what a waste of a bionic eye... finally i can get back to sortin' meh socks!
5. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - March 5, 2009 2:08 PM
Now I can't wait to go blind!
6. gizmoduck - March 5, 2009 2:09 PM
whoa....
Blow me! BUB!
7. r-tard - March 5, 2009 2:11 PM
this is crap. They implant this in your eye and then it slowly takes over your brain. The zombies already tried this crap. If I see this Ron guy i'm definitly fisting him... i mean giving him a fistfull... i mean handshake. Or milkshake. Whatever.
8. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - March 5, 2009 2:14 PM
#4
They had to test it on someone. Why not somebody on their way out?
9. you know who - March 5, 2009 2:14 PM
good news for some of you guys walking around with power to gnar gnar small penis. Because now they have a simpler way to make your woman happy, you can implant these puppies in your unspecting mate / ruffee victim that never left while they are knocked out,
then you can force them to see what you want them to see, a photo shopped version of your super improved gnar gnar
10. Gordon "Fücking" Shumway - March 5, 2009 2:16 PM
#9
No, I don't know who you are. Seriously, who are you?
11. r-tard - March 5, 2009 2:18 PM
@9
Are you suggesting we start rufeeing people, scoop out their eyes, and have sex with them?
Been there, done that.
12. Mike Hawk - March 5, 2009 2:25 PM
He was gonna see the light soon anyway, why not now?
13. gummi bear out - March 5, 2009 2:25 PM
I dont know Gordon.
but is it odd
that you got so defensive
its ok to give into your urges homie
14. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - March 5, 2009 2:29 PM
Damnit... Blinded by the light, blahblahblahblahblah song stuck in my head...
This eye should be tested on a sighted person- to see exactly how accurate it is. If not some jackass (like me) would want it to interpret everything it sees as pr0n.
15. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - March 5, 2009 2:30 PM
And I know this guy used to be able to see, but I mean a currently sighted person who is not relying on 30 year old memories of what sight "was"
16. chris "sanchez" - March 5, 2009 2:34 PM
ULTRA VISION POWERS ACTIVATE!
..................
or not,
17. We have the technology - March 5, 2009 2:48 PM
I'll be curious to see how they spend the rest of the 6 million dollars allotted to rebuild this guy. After all, we have the technology.
18. Kylo - March 5, 2009 2:49 PM
interesting... a cybernetic implant... doesn't this cross over into the geekologie writer's fear of robots?... it doesn't seem like a very big leap from "bionic eye" to robots installing the same ish in your eye and making you see what they want you to... while we're at it, from there we can make the leap into thinking about a matrix style future... i look forward to my soupy pod
19. DrNecropolis - March 5, 2009 3:07 PM
Mysteriously went blind huh? Wonder if he has hairy palms too
20. Davo - March 5, 2009 3:12 PM
That's false advertising, Argus had a thousand eyes...or something.
21. Mr. Nice - March 5, 2009 3:25 PM
this is OLD!
22. Darth - March 5, 2009 3:32 PM
I wouldn't even tell you all what parts of my are bionic.
23. Sauron - March 5, 2009 3:36 PM
Even people with perfect eyes can't see the difference well between light and dark.I think this bionic eye is a big step ahead.
24. DreamFolder - March 5, 2009 5:01 PM
Saw a similar prosthetic given to a woman on the Science channel or some such. They don't see photo-realistic images, but patterns of light and dark spots (like 4 or 5 spots) that they learn to interpret. Perhaps if Doc puts on the headpiece and absorbs the ancient knowledge he'll be able to connect to more individual nerves and increase the resolution. With a camera as an input device there's no limit as to what could be seen. Infrared, telescopic, microscopic, ultraviolet (dunno what good that would be, but it sounds fun) radio waves "Man the radio reception suck here." "Yeah, it's pretty dark."
25. formerly SPELLINGNAZI© - March 5, 2009 8:39 PM
@22: Parts of your what?
26. NightHawk - March 5, 2009 9:20 PM
This gives some experiments of mine hope. (Evil Laughing) ... (Clears Throat)
...More Evil Laughing... ^_^ Yeah? Uhm... This is cool?! Cyborgs...BWhahahah
27. Joe - March 6, 2009 5:38 AM
According to Gizmodo, the man is blind because of retinitis pigmentosa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinitis_pigmentosa).
http://i.gizmodo.com/5164677/elderly-man-sees-for-first-time-in-30-years-with-bionic-eye
28. naas - March 6, 2009 12:29 PM
...now if only the firstarded could see themselves
29. Zachary the Buckaroo - March 6, 2009 3:26 PM
Stevie Wonder can finaly see! Holy robot eyes Batman! Stevie could perform concerts now with bionic eyes! How cool is that!? Mr. Wonder could start a new band called "Stevie Wonder and The Bionic Eyes". Badaaaas!