A sensory substitution device is developed in which nonretinal stimulus is used to generate input to the brain of blind people to substitute for damage or loss of retinal input. Although the final realization of this technology (direct stimulation of the corneal nerve endings) was not addressed, a device consisting of a contact lens delivering point mechanical or electrical stimulating of the corneal nerves and a camera mounted on a spectacles frame which wirelessly transmit processed image to the contact lens, translating the visual information into tactile sensation is expected to be constructed. In order to improve the spatial resolution of the constructed image, the camera will also time multiplex, compress and encode the captured image before transmitting it to the stimulating contact lens. Preliminary devices performing tactile stimulation of the fingers and of the tongue by applying point electrical stimulations, were constructed and tested. Subjects were taught to “see” using the mechanical and the electrical tactile sensory.
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