MIT announced that a retinal implant could restore some limited vision capabilities to people with certain forms of blindness. While vision wouldn’t be restored fully, this chip could help people who have lost their vision from retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration to navigate rooms, or walk down a sidewalk.
A special pair of eyeglasses transmits images to the chip. According to MIT, “When the microchip receives visual information, it activates electrodes that stimulate nerve cells in the areas of the retina corresponding to the features of the visual scene.” Testing in blind patients will begin in the the next 3 years. Below are photos of a model showing how it might look when attached to the eye.