Eyes of the future
Bionic eyes don’t just belong in science fiction movies
anymore! The first generation of these devices are already being used to treat
and reverse certain forms of blindness. The current structure of a bionic eye
is a digital camera that is mounted on a tiny piece of glass. This camera then
sends inputs to electrodes that have been previously attached to the patient’s
retina, thus allowing the person to see again!
A second generation of bionic eyes is currently being
developed and undergoing testing by the Ocumetics Technology Corp.
The company boldly states that these devices will give humans three times
better than 20/20, regardless of the age, distance from the object or lighting
conditions. 
For the most optimistic scientists we should not stop
ourselves and we should aim to develop devices that will allow people to have
superhuman vision. A first step in this direction might be telescopic contact
lenses which can enable the user to zoom in and out with a wink. Considering
the incredible potential of this technology it is not surprising the that US
Defense Advance Research Projects Agency has been the main developer. Oh, and
maybe they’ll also develop cool additional features such as night vision!
It looks like regular eyesight glasses will be a thing of
the past in a few years and that we will be able to read a book from across the
room! Let’s wait and… see!
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