Two blind British men have electronic retinas fitted. (implants, surgery, eye)

[Baldrick]

Interesting article.

BBC News - Two blind British men have electronic retinas fitted

"Two British men who have been totally blind for many years have had part of their vision restored after surgery to fit pioneering eye implants.
They are able to perceive light and even some shapes from the devices which were fitted behind the retina.
The men are part of a clinical trial carried out at the Oxford University Eye Hospital and King's College Hospital in London."

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

You would be interested in the book "The Brain That Changed Itself" by Doidge. It deals on a layperson's level with neuroplasticity. I haven't finished it yet but there is a chapter on giving vision to people who were blind since birth.

[nimchimpsky]

That sounds great on the one hand, but on the other hand, I think I would be confused by such pixelated visual input. If retinal implants were something I was interested in and medically eligible for, I would at least hold off until they were improved enough to produce a better image than "light perception and some shapes".