A team of scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalam led by Dr Amir Amedi have created a Star Trek ‘visor’-like device that helps the visually handicapped to see.

The non-invasive Sensory Substitution Device ‘hacks’ into the visual cortex of the blind and helps them identify objects, via their existing senses.

Visual data is gathered with a camera and converted into ‘soundscapes’, using a computer algorithm—which users can “listen to and then interpret the visual information coming from the camera”, according to the a statement by the university.

The scientists discovered that the visual cortex of the blind show two pathways of perceiving information—thus when hearing sounds, they can convey the sounds to relevant information.

Researchers also reported that after brief training, blind users are able to learn how to interpret the information and “identify complex everyday objects, locate people and their postures, and read letters and words”.

[via Inhabitat]


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