Blind Americans can now ‘see’ with a device that uses their tongues

A new device that helps the blind "see" by using their tongues has been approved by the U.SFood and Drug Administration.

The BrainPort V100, cleared for 250,000 profoundly blind Americans without sensitivity to light, will cost about $10,000, said Robert Beckman, chief executive officer of closely held Wicab Inc. The three-part device captures images with a camera mounted on sunglasses, routes them through a hand-held controller and sends them to a 1-inch square device containing 400 electrical stimulation points that rests on the user's tongue.

"People are able to learn to interpret these patterns of bubbles or stimulation on their tongue to know what object is in front of them," Beckman said. "We don't want to create false hopes," he said. "They need to learn the technology and practice with it. It's more akin to learning a new language than it is to ordinary perception." Read more...