Tongue creates sight for blind
Laura Prather
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: TruLife
Although the tongue is commonly used to taste and feel, it could soon allow people to see.
BrainPort, a new technology from Wicab Inc., will allow people with vision impairments to feel sensations on their tongues in the form of images, said Aimee Arnoldussen, a Wicab Inc. scientist.
"The vision device is a sensory substitution device where we provide electro-tactile stimulation on the tongue, that's touch information, that our participants learn to translate into visual information," Arnoldussen said. "... So the cameras pick up the information. Information is then transferred to a [three-by-three centimeter] display that's presented on the tongue."
Wicab Inc., located in Middleton, Wis., is a research company that was founded by Paul Bach-y-Rita in 1998. Bach-y-Rita, who holds a doctorate in medicine, recently passed away in November 2006 and contributed more than 40 years of research to the company, Arnoldussen said.
The vision device consists of several parts that work together to transmit information. A camera strapped to a person's head captures his or her surroundings. The image then is transmitted through computer software located in a waist pack, Arnoldussen said.
Information is sent via the tongue display onto the tongue with patterned vibrations to recreate the image the camera sees, she said.
"Our participants describe the sensation as champagne bubbles on the tongue, so think of very light vibrations beating on the tongue," Arnoldussen said. "... Anything in the world that is recognized as white on the camera is a strong stimulation on the tongue. Anything that the camera picks up as grey is a medium level of stimulation and anything that the camera picks up as black is no stimulation. So it's kind of like feeling a black and white picture on your tongue, but instead of black and white, you get levels of sensation."
The size and location of stimulation on the tongue depends on the object that the camera sees, Arnoldussen said.
BrainPort, a new technology from Wicab Inc., will allow people with vision impairments to feel sensations on their tongues in the form of images, said Aimee Arnoldussen, a Wicab Inc. scientist.
"The vision device is a sensory substitution device where we provide electro-tactile stimulation on the tongue, that's touch information, that our participants learn to translate into visual information," Arnoldussen said. "... So the cameras pick up the information. Information is then transferred to a [three-by-three centimeter] display that's presented on the tongue."
Wicab Inc., located in Middleton, Wis., is a research company that was founded by Paul Bach-y-Rita in 1998. Bach-y-Rita, who holds a doctorate in medicine, recently passed away in November 2006 and contributed more than 40 years of research to the company, Arnoldussen said.
The vision device consists of several parts that work together to transmit information. A camera strapped to a person's head captures his or her surroundings. The image then is transmitted through computer software located in a waist pack, Arnoldussen said.
Information is sent via the tongue display onto the tongue with patterned vibrations to recreate the image the camera sees, she said.
"Our participants describe the sensation as champagne bubbles on the tongue, so think of very light vibrations beating on the tongue," Arnoldussen said. "... Anything in the world that is recognized as white on the camera is a strong stimulation on the tongue. Anything that the camera picks up as grey is a medium level of stimulation and anything that the camera picks up as black is no stimulation. So it's kind of like feeling a black and white picture on your tongue, but instead of black and white, you get levels of sensation."
The size and location of stimulation on the tongue depends on the object that the camera sees, Arnoldussen said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
traduceri
posted 6/25/09 @ 8:13 AM CST
It's marvelous how the technology has advanced. Imagine transforming a touch or the taste of something into an image. I'm glad to see that the blind still have a chance to live a normal life. (Continued…)
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