Researchers in Monash University in Australia may soon help majority of blind people see again using Monash Vision system, a technology that they developed by combining biomedical technology and consumer-friendly glasses.
The new technology will allow the blind to recognize objects and people, using a camera linked directly to the brain.
According to the official page of Monash Vision, a digital camera will be embedded in a pair of regular glasses. The camera will be used to capture images and translate that into a language that a chip embedded on the blind person's brain will understand. The chip will stimulate the visual cortex of the brain using small electrodes and the brain will interpret the signals as sight.
"It's the most advanced system created as it allows people to recognise different objects and colours," said Arthur Lowery, director of the project at Monash University in an interview with The Guardian.
"It means people can go into a meeting and know who is there and how many of them there are. People can venture outside because they can see trees," he added.
The brain will interpret the signals sent to it as solid colors and dots. A software designed for facial recognition will allow the blind person to recognize people. There will also be custom applications to help the user do other things such as climb up and down a set of stairs.
Mark Armstrong, an industrial designer known for his Sydney Olympics torch design, is part of the team and has designed the concept wearable device that will help blind people see.
The proponents of the research clarified that the Monash Vision system will not be beneficial for people with residual vision. The new technology only makes use of only a few pixels and people with residual vision will have better visual perception than that.
"We thought of a different approach, one that involved a cortical implant into the back of the head. You don't need eyeballs for this. If you have optic nerve damage or glaucoma this can work as it bypasses the optical system. It gives hope to people who have had serious damage to their eyes," Lowery added.
The project is aiming to have tests with real patients by 2014 that will be followed by clinical trials, the last stage prior to certification of the bionic eye and actual production.
