(Claude Monet)
In 2011, we told the story of Emilie Gossiaux, an art student who was hit by a truck and fell into a coma. Though Emilie was permanently blinded in the accident, she has recently been able to see again — in a very different way.
Comments [6]
First of all, her perseverance is incredible. She gets hit by a truck, goes completely blind, but still tries to do what she loves. This type of technology is honestly crazy cool. She is seeing with her tongue! The plasticity of her brain relearned how to see with her mouth. That's awesome. I also think it's beautiful the way she says she sees people as a painting, in splotches of paint that just- moves. It makes me happy that she gets to see again, and in such a strange wand wonderful new perspective. Technology continues to open worlds of possibilities for us all the time.
This story reminded me of project some friends and I hacked a few years ago. If curious:
http://www.theverge.com/culture/2011/11/21/2576854/syneseizure-diy-face-mask-sight-and-touch-together-at-last
and more-
http://syneseizure.wordpress.com/
After listening to this I went online to learn more about the creators of Brainport. Turns out it was started by a very interesting scientist, Dr Paul Bach-Y-Rita. Unfortunately he passed away in 2006, here's his obituary:
http://www.salus.edu/nclvi/honoring/bach_y_rita.htm
This man needs a biography written about him!
I also checked out some videos on Brainport on youtube. The device is absolutely amazing. In one video a blind man is even able to read using a brainport! (extra-large fonts, but still - the machine is in its infancy!)
About 15 years ago I saw on TV a show about a similar program, except there they had an ultrasound signal sent forward by a device on a blind man's head and when it bounced back, this was picked up by devices near his ears and lowered in pitch from ultrasound to regular sound, so he could hear them. I.e. just like a bat sees.
The result was not totally positive, because there are things that swallow ultrasound, so to him it was as if there was nothing there, but in reality there was. But he did begin to see.
I wonder whether that experiment was continued and improved. Does anyone know something about it?
What happened to Alan? I remember their story from the lost and found episode but it sounds like they're no longer together. I guess it's none of our business but it made me a little sad.
What an incredible story. Did she get to keep the equipment at the end of the experiment or did she have to go back to being blind?
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