lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu (a.k.a. Chri) (11/06/90)
[Note: Brian Fennell asked me to post this, since he does not have this ability at his site. To save net bandwidth, I have edited much of my original article (which he included in entirety). All of Brian's text has been left intact. -- Chris Lishka] In article <10438@milton.u.washington.edu> lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu (a.k.a. Chri) writes: ... >I saw a remarkable show a >few years back that dealt with computers and handicapped people. >Possibly the most amazing development that was presented was >artificial vision. It has been a while since I have seen this program >(so I don't remember the name of it, or that many details), but I am >nearly positive it was on PBS. >[...] Your memorys are a bit inaccurate (if I am remembering the same article): The article, I beleive, was on the series called "the Brain" on PBS. (but I am not sure.) There were two experiments, one with a 2x6 surgical inplant that sent braile images, one that used physical stimulus of the skin of the back (vibrating, blunt, wooden or metal pegs aproximatly 20x20, the vibration caused the physical response, no "pain" involved). The man in the second experiment WAS blind from birth, he had never seen the flame on a candle before. (to a blindman flame has no shape just heat) I remember that the aparatus of the second experiment was the peg-array afixed to a chair, and a hand held, video camera, attached by wires to the chair and a wall monitor of some sort (of the same resolution). I don't remember him walking around with this device. Additional information: The picture was being processed by the same part of the brain as eye images, despite not using the optic nerve (in fact using the back). This I think was determined using CAT-scan, and radio-active gluecose. Asside from my own personal experience: There exists a device called an "Opticon" that uses tiny vibrating metal pegs to stimulate an image on the index finger, and a small one character scanner that can be dragged along a line of text. I have tried it, no pain. Anyone can use it with practice, although people who are blind from birth need to be taught what a printed character looks like. These devices are relatively common in the blind community. This idea of people who are blind from birth not being able to use the visual center of the brain is just not true. PS: I cannot post to the news group, would you please cross post for me? Brian Fennell=fenn@wpi.wpi.edu -- Christopher Lishka 608-262-4485 "Dad, don't give in to mob mentality!" Wisconsin State Lab. of Hygiene -- Bart Simpson lishka@uwslh.slh.wisc.edu "I'm not, Son. I'm jumping on the bandwagon." uunet!uwvax!uwslh!lishka -- Homer Simpson