DoE-Sponsored Project Readies Human Trial For Artificial Retinas

An anonymous reader writes "'The blind will see again,' could be the motto of the Artificial Retina Project, which is getting ready to implant a 60-pixel artificial retina chip into 10 blind patients later this year. 60-pixels doesn't sound like much, but the 1st gen artificial retina brought tears to the eyes of its six recipients, who claim they can now count large objects with just 16-pixels. If all goes well, a 200-pixel retina will be ready in three years; the chip used is of a 1.2-micron CMOS process, with both power and video supplied wirelessly." (And this is sponsored by the Department of Energy for what reason?)

In other news,

[pwnies]

"...wirelessly transmits images to a belt pack containing a microprocessor that processes the video signal" In other news, the encryption scheme for these devices was broken. The only side effect is the blind with these implants have reported seeing a smiley face with the words, "I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes" circling around the face.

Re:Still a long way from sci-fi

[Chris Burke]

Even MIT's newer wearable computer enthusiasts are more attractive.

Why on earth would anyone want to wear a computer enthusiast? Is this some extreme form of on-demand tech support? Also, I'm highly skeptical of the claim that computer enthusiasts coming out of MIT, no matter how new, are attractive.

Which DOE?

[ultraexactzz]

And Here I am thinking it was the Department of Eyesight. Seemed rather logical, actually.

There's no cure for blindness

[Thelasko]

If you go to a doctor and tell him that you're blind, they say, "Hey, why don't you get this dog to drag your blind ass around?" What kind of cure is that?

Chris Rock

I for one welcome our cyborg overlords!

Re:One person who could really have used this

[Anonymous Coward]

Stranger: So you worked at JPL?
You: Yes.
Stranger: What did you do there?
You: I was a seeing eye dog...

artificial retina brought tears to the eyes of 6..

[objekt]

...thereby causing a short circuit in their newly implanted retinas.

Re:Still a long way from sci-fi

[Alsee]

You could always do one eye at a time :)

Oh yeah smarty pants?
Ok, so you get your first generation 60 pixels, and you get your second generation unit, and your third generation unit, but then what the hell do you do about the fourth generation unit then? Huh? Huh smarty pants?

Re:Still a long way from sci-fi

[Alsee]

.: )

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Re:In other news,

[dunnius]

Yeah, I was laughing, man!

Re:16 pixels? 60 pixels? What?

[badboy_tw2002]

You know, it would be really great if /. armchair scientists were really in an armchair watching science reports like it was a football game. Then you could see how ridiculous you're being:

Announcer: Dr. Hausinsphincter steps back, takes the chip, and inserts it into the eye of the patient.

Announcer #2: That's an equivalent 60 pixel chip I believe he's trying there Bob. /. Know It All: 60 pixels! Awww what? Come on Hausinsphincter grow a pair! That's fucking rediculous! Get some of those stem cell's in on that shit and grow those connections!

Announcer: And now the patient is trying out the chip. Looks like he can see large objects, but no reading for him yet Carl.

Announcer #2: That's right Bob. Maybe in a few years. /. Know It All: Well thank you VERY MUCH Hausinsphincter! That's $300 I didn't need. Dammit...wonder what's on the Linux Kernel Update channel....

Re:+(funniest thing this year)

[Alsee]

I don't think that you see where this is going

I'm not blind to the possibilities.

  )

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