Bionic eye technology: An advanced version of artificial vision Singh Hardeep*, Singh Bikram Pal**, Kaur Jaspreet*** *Assistant Professor, Training & Placement Officer, Department of Training & Placement, Ferozepur College of Engineering & Technology (FCET), Ferozepur, Punjab, India. **Assistant Professor, Training & Placement Officer, Department of Training & Placement, Global Institutes, Amritsar, Punjab, India. ***MTech Scholar, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Amritsar College of Engineering and Technology (ACET), Amritsar, Punjab, India. Online published on 6 August, 2012. Abstract Blindness is the most feared of all human ailments. Crossing busy roads can be a challenge for people with good vision. For blind people, it is a perilous activity. Technology has done wonders for the mankind. We have seen prosthetics that helped overcome handicaps. Bio medical engineers play a vital role in shaping the course of these prosthetics. Now it is the turn of Artificial Vision through Bionic Eyes. Researches working for the Boston Retinal Implant Project have been developing a Bionic eye implant that could restore the eye sight of people who suffer from age related blindness. The implant is based on a small chip that is surgically implanted behind the retina, at the back of the eye ball. Chips-designed specifically to imitate the characteristics of the damaged retina, the cones and rods of the organ of sight are implanted with a microsurgery. An ultra-thin wire strengthens the damaged optic nerve; its purpose is to transmit light and images to the brain's vision system, where it is normally processed. Other than the implanted chip and wire, most of the device sits outside the eye. The users would need to wear special eye glasses battery-powered camera and a transmitter, which would send images to the chip implanted behind the retina. The new device is expected to be quite durable, since the chip is enclosed in a Titanium casing, making it both water-proof and corrosion-proof. The researches estimate that the device will last for at least 10years inside the eye. There is hope for the blind in the form of Bionic Eyes. This technology can add life to their vision less eyes. Top Keywords Artificial vision, Blindness, Eye, Retina, Technology. Top |