BrainPort helps you see with your tongue

Ever wondered how you’re going to see even when you’ve lost your vision? There is a new device that follows the school of thought of neuroscientist Paul Bach-y-Rita who hypothesized back in the 1960s that “we see with our brains not our eyes.” This device will rely on nerves located along the tongue’s surface to send light signals to the brain, allowing the brain to process these and form a mental picture. The BrainPort device, as it is called, will collect visual data through a tiny digital video camera that is located in the center of a pair of sunglasses. This recorded data will then be transferred over to a handheld base unit, where the processed data will ultimately be sent to the tongue through an electrode array that allows your tongue’s surface to receive such electrical signals, where the brain’s visual cortex will get to work. This isn’t exactly perfected yet, but it is a step in the right direction.