Although legally blind, Terry Byland can see an image of the letter t with the help of MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology. Sixteen electrodes surgically implanted in Byland's retina are connected to a camera embedded in his glasses. The camera captures an image that is converted into digital data and then sent to his implant, which generates a pattern of electrical pulses. The pulses (their various current levels appear on an array of circles behind Byland) are then transmitted to his retina. The technology is now being tested in a clinical trial at the University of Southern California's Doheny Eye Institute. If the next generation of implants are perfected on the much smaller nanolevel, it could help blind patients recover lost vision.
Camera: Canon EOS-1DS Mark II Format: Digital (100 ISO) Lens: 16mm Speed and F-Stop: 1/6 @ f/5.6
