Israel Matzav

Bar Ilan University develops bionic contact lens

Professor Zeev Zalevsky of the Electro-Optics department at Bar Ilan University has developed a bionic contact lens. It lets blind people see.

According to Zalevsky, the lens processes digital images and translates them into tactile sensations. These sensations can be felt on the person's cornea, allowing him or her to form a picture of their physical surroundings.

"It's like reading Braille, not with your fingertips but with your eyes," said Zalevsky. He explains that the system uses a mounted camera or smartphone to capture images that are turned into a form of electronic Braille. Zalevsky said that with a short training the user can use the lens effectively.

Explaining that the device is worn just like a regular contact lens, Zalevsky said, "We can encode an image with many more points than the Braille systems, and use these to stimulate the surface of the cornea." He added, "The more shapes you want to recognize, the longer the training should be. This is similar to how a visually impaired person learns Braille writing."

Unbelievable. And they're looking for funding.

Labels: Israeli high tech

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:48 PM