Research state: Opportunity
Horizon scan, innovation. BrainPort device to see with the tongue
Sunglasses are worn by the user with a small digital video camera placed in the centre to capture visuals of the person’s surroundings. It is then fed back to a handheld device containing a central processing unit, which converts the information/image into electrical pulses. These pulses can be felt on the tongue with a ‘lollipop’ type insert, an electrode array. Nerves at the tongue then sent signals to the brain in order to ‘see’ black and white pixels representing one’s surroundings. According to the developers, it only takes 15 minutes to learn its usage.
Company: Wicab, Inc., Middleton, USA - medical device company
Components: video camera integrated in sunglasses, handheld base unit, electrode array