“A soldier blinded by a grenade in Iraq has described how his life has been transformed by ground-breaking technology that enables him to ”see” with his tongue.
Lance Corporal Craig Lundberg, 24, from Walton, Liverpool, can read words, identify shapes and walk unaided thanks to the BrainPort device, despite being totally blind.
The Liverpool fan, who plays blind football for England, lost his sight after being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade while serving in Basra in 2007.
He was faced with the prospect of relying on a guide dog or cane for the rest of his life.
But he was chosen by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to be the first person to trial a pioneering device – the BrainPort, which could revolutionise treatment for the blind.
The BrainPort converts visual images into a series of electrical pulses which are sent to the tongue. The different strength of the tingles can be read or interpreted so the user can mentally visualise their surroundings and navigate around objects.”
Read more at The Telegraph (thanks, KirstyJ)
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I wish I had more info about this, to make it sound a little less vague, but isn’t this based on research Paul Bach Y Rita did back in the 1970s? Is it just that it *works* now?
I am still imagining blind footballers. Wonderful madness! Wonder if Derren enjoyed any football in Hull¿
Poor guy . . but that is mighty awesome x