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See the original image at timesonline.co.uk

First Bionic Eyes Successfully Implanted

timesonline.co.uk — The device - the first of its kind in the world - incorporates a video camera and transmitter mounted on a pair of glasses.

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  • ssn697, on 04/22/2008, -1/+27Does it make that same funny bionic sound?
    • Nougat, on 04/22/2008, -4/+3No, but the bionic ear does.
      • OwdenBowden, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2nununununa nununununa nununununa shunnna
    • cawpin, on 04/22/2008, -8/+8Buried for being completely inaccurate just like the /. story it was taken from. This is NOT a bionic eye. It is simply a camera connected to the patient's brain. A bionic eye goes into the eye socket. My wife's dad has been working on them for nearly 20 years.
      • sublimemm, on 04/22/2008, -12/+7buried for saying "my wife's dad" instead of father in law
        • Jubalicious, on 04/22/2008, -8/+3buried for saying "buried for saying"... oh wait
          • twinklyJesus, on 04/22/2008, -8/+1buried for saying "... oh wait"
          • wellyuk, on 04/22/2008, -9/+1buried for saying 'buried for saying "... oh wait"'
      • shortyjacobs, on 04/22/2008, -0/+12jesus, way to nitpick. It's still damn impressive that they can put an implant with 60 electrodes in behind the eye, capable of transmitting into the optic nerve to form an image in the person's brain....Who gives a ***** where the camera is....and I SERIOUSLY doubt that your "wife's dad" has been working on an "actual" bionic eye for 20 years, as cameras 20 years ago were ***** huge.
        • theaceoffire, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3I think the issue is the convenience of the user.

          The camera is not actually implanted into the eye like some other versions I have seen, which means that you can easily replace it/upgrade it without surgery. Sorta like Geordi La Forge, the data is sent directly to his optic nerve from an external device. This idea is easily scalable for multiple sized heads, and offers the option of multiple types of eye replacements based on your needs.

          However, the title implies that the eyes have been enhanced to the point where it can self contained within the eye cavity (Which is what I was shocked/delighted by, since progress on this has been slow at best). While less flexible as far as replacement/upgrade is concerned, it would be a huge stride toward allowing people who use it to fit back into society and lead normal lives (Sort of how contacts allow better freedom than glasses at the cost of comfort.).

          In short, I am not sure if this is new. It might be considered important due to using an artificial device behind the retina, but I believe this has been done before.
          • MiNGLED, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1That's the next stage the researchers are working on, maybe 3-5 years before the true bionic eye is possible.
      • ssn697, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4Buried for taking a 6 million dollar man reference seriously...
      • theOster, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5could you kindly tell him to hurry the ***** up? or is he just inept?
      • mikesbaker, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2ssn697 was right as was the article
        http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bionic
        lets see think that this is a fitting pic
        http://digg.com/users/mikesbaker/gallery/3335655
    • chaosium, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1ENHANCE!
  • mikesbaker, on 04/22/2008, -1/+57I'm thinking about getting metal legs. It's a risky operation, but it'll be worth it.
    • RonnyIsRondo, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5X-Ray Vision?
    • windmarble, on 04/22/2008, -2/+10Grandma's Boy rules!
      • plundstedt, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1It really is Mel Gibson, isn't it?
    • fluidfoundation, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3You're going to need it if you're going to outrun your lion.
    • ryan850, on 04/22/2008, -8/+2If I could develop my own advanced prosthetic device I would want feet that can propel me through water at an incredible speed. I would draw a lot of attention to myself then dive in the ocean as people watch in anticipation. Just when they think I'm about to drown and the look of worry masks their once curious faces, I suddenly break free from below the calm surface and blast into the air. I do a couple of perfectly choreographed flips with a quarter twist and return to the water with minimal splash. With the now adoring crowd cheering my unbelievable skill, I raise my body out of the water, my bionic feet paddling fervently just below the surface. Like a dolphin skimming across the water for a handful of smelt, I move towards the rapturous crowd awaiting my return on the shore. My arms spread as wide as they can in a T formation, eyes closed, head tilted toward the heavens. I guess metal legs would be cool too.
      • fluidfoundation, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5He must be smoking the Frankenstein.
    • geekwithsoul, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1Don't forget to get the shiny metal ass accessory!
    • ninja0, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1What about robot ears?
    • carpespasm, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1don't forget to recharge them. It would suck to be going somewhere and get stuck because you forgot to charge your legs.
    • khyberkitsune, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Speaking as a person with a partially metal leg (rebuilt femur and knee) - NO YOU DON'T.
  • Kison, on 04/22/2008, -5/+3Peeking into dressing rooms everywhere.
  • Gargoyle, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1How cool is that!
  • znicket, on 04/22/2008, -0/+46This is truly awesome. Bestowing sight on the sightless? I give the researchers full respect.
  • CrackyJSquirrel, on 04/22/2008, -12/+4No funny comment, all that comes to mind is, "that is really ***** neat".. dugg.
    • Duositex, on 04/22/2008, -1/+8Note: comments are not mandatory.
      • CrackyJSquirrel, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1Note: I don't give a ***** if you approve of my comment or not..
  • sagat, on 04/22/2008, -0/+30Geordi?
  • Bfettmaul, on 04/22/2008, -0/+41We can rebuild him. We have the technology.
    • KingGorilla, on 04/22/2008, -0/+8but I don't want to spend a lot of money
    • mikesbaker, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1i almost went with that with my first post but I'm glad that I went with the granda's boy
  • fluidfoundation, on 04/22/2008, -9/+10I for one welcome our new super-ocular overlords..
  • pyromanx, on 04/22/2008, -1/+9Next step: artificial photographic memory.
    • loquax, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Only if it comes with the option to erase things we rather not have seen.
      • carpespasm, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1you can never unsee some things in this world.
  • clint999, on 04/22/2008, -2/+3All I can think of is the borg from star trek ... with that eye camera thing.
    • shortyjacobs, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1.........laser.
    • mikesbaker, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1you mean Locutus of Borg?
    • Chicken2nite, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1All I can think of is G'Kar from Babylon 5 when after receiving an artificial eye (with a wireless transceiver) he proceeds to pop it out and point it at his own face.
      "I can see myself!"
      I wonder what kind of wireless range the camera in the glasses would have ... Later in the series he would use that eye to spy on a couple having sex, the sick bugger.
  • rulezgetbent, on 04/22/2008, -6/+1wasn't this already posted... earlier today?
  • lpmiller, on 04/22/2008, -1/+14No built in lasers? I'll wait for Version 2.0
  • tnt_, on 04/22/2008, -0/+9this is very cool

    on a side note...the picture for this article is a picture about allergies...
  • LibertyForever, on 04/22/2008, -0/+13"American researchers are hoping to develop a camera the size of a pea that could be implanted within the eyeball, replacing natural tissue with artificial technology. Surgeons hope that the implant could be available to NHS patients within three to five years."

    This is great stuff. All of this technology is evolving at the speed of Moore's Law. It looks like Kurzweil may be right: we are at the point where we can start leveraging technology to accelerate evolution.
    • BossKey, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2The funny thing is, at that point, it's no longer evolution through natural selection, but intelligent design (though by the species itself, not by a god).
      • Oea420, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5Well, I have always considered technology in general the next 'step' in evolution.

        Once a species reaches a point where it is against the forces (natural selection) that created it, something new must arise. We just have to fully embrace technology and admit that if we want to advance as a species genetic manipulation is a must.
  • leerayIG88, on 04/22/2008, -1/+17Ghost in a Shell coming to a store near you!
    • mgagne, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5I was looking forward for someone to post a reference about Ghost in the Shell.
      • Jayzgame, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6I gotta say, Batou's ocular implant were the first thing that came to mind for me too.
      • MiNGLED, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1It just shows we're of a different generation, it was still Steve Austin for me. Well I am a child of the 70's.
  • degron, on 04/22/2008, -4/+2I see what they did there.
  • RoflZone, on 04/22/2008, -5/+0Wow. If They Could make these with colour, it could help so many people. An amazing development. Dugg
    • shortyjacobs, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2You'd be the only blind guy going, "Wait, it will let me see again, but only in black and white?? Man you researchers suck!"
      • RoflZone, on 04/22/2008, -0/+0Ok. Re-read my comment and tell me where I said that it sucked.
  • DonSlice, on 04/22/2008, -1/+5"could be implanted within the eyeball, replacing natural tissue with artificial technology"

    I want some of this "artificial technology." Where can I get some?
  • lankyvaulter, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Scott from Cincinnati is crazy, as is mr. Patel from London
  • reuscel, on 04/22/2008, -0/+12Enhance...
  • SeraphIXI, on 04/22/2008, -0/+8Someday the blind will be able to do this! http://epicgeordi.ytmnd.com/
    • esantipapa, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Ha ha... yeah, LaForge is tha man.
  • RubineBoy, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I kind of expected images like the ones the camera transmits. I find it hard to figure out how advanced it is. I've seen this on discovery a few years ago ... But the camera wasn't so small then and it was wired to the brain. But I wonder if the image they "see" is more advanced now.
    • jserio, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1FTA:

      "The device — the first of its kind — incorporates a video camera and transmitter mounted on a pair of glasses. This is linked to an artificial retina, which transmits moving images along the optic nerve to the brain and enables the patient to discriminate rudimentary images of motion, light and dark."

      You need to wear a pair of glasses that interface with the fake eyeballs. I am curious how they are "linked." Is it wireless or some sort of plug?
      • shortyjacobs, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1FTA:
        "The Argus II uses a video camera to capture images. These are converted into electrical signals, which are transmitted wirelessly to the implant behind the retina."
        • jgzman, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1The wireless bit concerns me. What kind of encryption do you want on your eyes? What if someone breaks it?
  • n0c0ntr0l, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1It seems like if this technology advances it would be an advantage to have these eyes. They could probably become better than human eyes. Who knows maybe 120/20 vision is round the corner.
    • shortyjacobs, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1120/20 is *****. that means that you can see at 20 feet what someone with 20/20 vision can see at 120 feet. That makes you blind. What you want is 20/10, or 20/1.
      • shortyjacobs, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2OK, I suck balls....obviously 120/20 is the same as 6/1, which is still 6x better than 20/20. Sorry about that. Brain's not quite working I spose.
      • RubineBoy, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2I want to look AROUND the corner.
    • reubidium, on 04/22/2008, -0/+0Human eyes are awesome. If we could see into the infra-red and/or ultra-violet ranges, that would be very cool. But so far as the eye's resolution and sensitivity to light -- I have yet to see this reproduced mechanically! The best and most expensive cameras all fail in this regard. For example, ever try to photograph a sunny window? Compare the information your eyes can see to what you can get with a simple photograph, the shadows and highlights..
  • groone, on 04/22/2008, -4/+1This is cool stuff....one step closer to a Johnny Pneumonic type world.
    • jb0nd38372, on 04/22/2008, -0/+11I'm sorry, but I have to correct you, "Johnny Mnemonic" What you said sounds like a cyborg who has pneumonia.
  • drmangrum, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1I remember see something like this on a science show 15 years ago. While it's probably greatly improved over the years, it's certainly not the first of it's kind.
  • cbeach, on 04/22/2008, -10/+2FTA comments: "Thanks God...my Sister is sufferring from retinitis pigmentosa. I think the the Great Allah has listned to us...May Allah help those Doctors (Angles in true meaning...) to finalized their research...and my sister can see the beautiful word the Almighty God has created...Amen.Lets all pray for that."

    Your imaginary friend had NOTHING to do with these scientists' marvellous work. How on earth can you respect a "God" that allowed your sister to develop a terrible condition. Or do you somehow blame this on her sins? You f**king idiot.
    • yaksha2, on 04/22/2008, -1/+5woah! Simmer down now, cbeach. I don't recall this guy telling you to "worship Allah or these doctors will f**king fail at everything they do!" Let the man praise what he wants.
  • Angelle, on 04/22/2008, -1/+0thats great news
  • notoneofus, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1This is awesome. Both my father and grandfather lost their left eyes due to (similar) accidents. I'm very protective of my left eye, but fear I may need this technology some day.
  • RubineBoy, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3In a few years they will feature Carl Zeiss lenses as an option.
  • donkeySays, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Holy *****. The future has started.
    • carpespasm, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1It started a while ago. When we started getting robotic pets that clean the floors rather than poop on them and they started making robots that can carry the weight of 3 men that you can't knock over.
  • esantipapa, on 04/22/2008, -1/+9Beware, TIMES has fundies' comments... something about God really made us perfect, and its our sin that messes up our perfect bodies... tell that to children with cancer... asshats.
  • mytibt, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6Impressive, one day, imagine blinking to take a photo, sticking a thumbdrive in your ear, and loading it onto your computer. I really never thought it would be in my generation that I'd be reading about something like this.

    The article is unclear though as to whether it restores sight to people who lost their eyesight during the course of their lives or whether it can also restore sight to those who were born without it.
    • esantipapa, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Why not just bluetooth connection from your brain to your computer... or other peoples brains?
      • carpespasm, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1because bluetooth sucks for distance. I want 3G+ robot eyes that have a 40TB+ storage space.
        • esantipapa, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Damn, i don't even possess the comprehension of what kind of kick @ss prons could be made with that kind of technology.
    • RubineBoy, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4I can imagine that sticking a thumbdrive in your but wouldn't be a desired feature.
      Restore sight to those who were born without it would definitely be a lot more difficult. They will first have to learn how to see. I don't know how that works.
      • carpespasm, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Since we know that when an area of the brain goes unused it's area is ususally taken over by a sense that is normally in an adjacent area they might perceive their "Sight" as some sort of synaesthesia between the senses that share that part of the brain. It would probably depend heavily on how old they are when the surgery is done.
    • trevorh, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2The way I understood the article the optic nerve still needed to be functioning for the device to work.
  • stix213, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4We can rebuild him.... We have the technology....
    • esantipapa, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I think its gonna cost mare than 6 mil though... better call google.
  • FernandoForever, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Yeah, but is it LCD or Plasma?
  • TsuruchiBrian, on 04/22/2008, -0/+7First picture in the slideshow: A picture of Angelina Jolie's eyeball (just in case we forgot what a beautiful person's eyeball looks like)

    Second picture in the slideshow: A picture of someone wearing the device in question. This is obviously much less relevant to the story and should require the reader to click on a button with an arrow on it to see.
  • chbae87, on 04/22/2008, -0/+0I truly wonder how some extreme religious 'fanatics' or 'zealots' would react to this development of technology...
  • MrFurious2k, on 04/22/2008, -0/+120 years from now Best Buy will be selling these with extended warranties. When you call for in-home service, you'll still get hung up on or placed in eternal hold. Otherwise, kick ass news.
    • mandarin, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1They still will be stealing your porn from the memory slot on your glasses...
  • hasslinthehoff, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I'd like to special order the LaForge Visor instead?
  • Locnar, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Does it give off a red light? like a T1000.. that would be cool too..
  • twinklyJesus, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I'm waiting for the ability to plug a movie directly into my head and watch it in my mind....screw the size limitations of external display devices...it really would be like "being there."
  • theNorthcutt, on 04/22/2008, -1/+0I work for this company : )
  • kriminalintent, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2One step closer to laser cats. Lock and load!
  • misterteenwolf, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4dugg for giving blind men the opportunity to look at porn
  • RustyJ, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I lost my right eye about 6 or 7 years ago. I've been waiting for this headline the whole time, I'm blown away it came about so soon. I only hope it continues to advance.
  • diggydougie, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2The resolution still sucks. They're hoping to get it up to 1000 electrodes (pixels) soon. enough for face recognition. That's pathetic. I saw a science documentary describing this kind of resolution years ago. Even a megapixel would be pretty poor for reading and such.
    • esantipapa, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2There isn't enough funding into bioengineering. If there was, natural eyeballs would be antiquated by 2025.
    • carpespasm, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1While I agree that a 1000 pixel ability to see would be pretty poor, when you consider what it takes to even get to that point it's still amazing. The implications that we can interface a person's mind to a machine that gives them the ability to see in any capacity is stunning. The fact that they're not seeing in 1080P yet is a matter of future refinements, but we're really doing this *****. That's amazing to me. I'm only 21 and in my lifetime I can remember hearing things like this talked about like they were a total fantasy that we'd never see before we died.
      • esantipapa, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1I may be a bit older than you, but not much (25) if you want to seriously gauge the future of bioengineering... get this book, if you don't have it already. After reading it, you will find that our future looks better than ever.
        "The Singularity is Near" by Ray Kurzweil.
  • mandarin, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Laser beam eyes!
  • oceanographer, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2I don't need no Tleilaxu eyes.
  • jerrycan, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Jeepers, creepers, where'd yah get those peepers?
  • VVCephei, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I want the implant to let me see record the ***** I see. I'm tired of seeing something and only having a memory to back it up.
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