Add Portugal to the list of countries working on new technologies to enable the blind to see. In this case, the procedure, developed by Dr. William Dobelle of the Dobelle Medical Institute in Portugal, links the brain directly to a set of eyeglass-mounted cameras. The cams capture images, transfer it to a shoulder-mounted computer and upload the info to the brain. The device is designed specifically for individuals who have lost their eyes and/or use of their optic nerves, and currently has been tested with just 16 patients, including one eyeless woman from the US. Using the $120,000 setup, she can now see flashes of light, though her vision is expected to improve with greater computer power.

[Via MobileMag]