Richard Rabbitt has discovered a different way to activate cells using infrared light to send signals to the brain. Rabbitt figured out how to use infrared light to send signals to the brain. Pulses of invisible wavelengths are activate nearby cells and communicate with the brain. "In the lab, researchers were able to make heart cells in rats beat again and make inner-ear cells of toadfish send signals the brain."
Rasearchers hope this type of therapy work in the following situations
- to restore balance as well as age
- to provide artificial vision in patients with retinitis pigmentosa
- to treat people with Parkinson's disease
“A healthy adult can hear more than 3,000 different frequencies. With optical stimulation, there’s a possibility of hearing hundreds or thousands of frequencies instead of eight. Perhaps someday an optical cochlear implant will allow deaf people to once again enjoy music and hear all the nuances in sound that a hearing person would enjoy.”
I'm interested to see how these implants will improve in the future.
Allan Sejer Madsen and Lukasz Natkaniec from Poland, have developed a GPS device for the blind called "DROP" GPS system. The device is in a shape of a disk and senses it location using GPS Technology. The grid is made of 3D moveable dots so the user can feel the maps, very similar to braille. It also has a zoom, search, and voice command feature as well.
