BrainPort Vision Pro
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The new BrainPort Vision Pro is a 2nd generation oral electronic vision aid that provides electro-tactile stimulation to aid profoundly blind patients in orientation, mobility, and object recognition as an adjunctive device to other assistive methods such as the white cane or a guide dog.
BrainPort Vision Pro translates digital information from a wearable video camera into gentle electrical stimulation patterns on the surface of the tongue. Users feel moving bubble-like patterns on their tongue which they learn to interpret as the shape, size, location and motion of objects in their environment. Some users have described it as being able to “see with your tongue”.
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TECHNOLOGY
The BrainPort Vision Pro vision aid is a headset that contains a small video camera, user controls, a rechargeable battery, and the tongue array. The headset is fully adjustable and available in 3 different sizes to accommodate most users.
The camera works in a variety of lighting conditions and has an adjustable field of view. The tongue array contains 394 electrodes and is connected to the headset via a flexible cable so it can’t be dropped and lost. When in use, white pixels from the camera are felt on the tongue as strong stimulation, black pixels as no stimulation, and gray levels as medium levels of stimulation.
USA - Rx Only
NON-SURGICAL SOLUTION
The BrainPort Vision Pro is being used by individuals with no usable vision, both congenitally blind and with acquired blindness. Good candidates for using the BrainPort Vision Pro are people that have completed conventional blind rehabilitation training and are comfortable using conventional assistive tools. A non-surgical solution, BrainPort Vision Pro does not affect the eyes. This is important in the event future research offers better alternatives for people who are totally blind.
TRAINING
Supervised training is necessary prior to using the BrainPort Vision Pro device independently. Training is offered through certified, independent training facilities. A typical training course is 10 hours of one-on-one training, over a three-day period, including customized content for the individual user.
BrainPort Vision Aid in the News
Reading with the Tongue: Individual Differences Affect the Perception of Ambiguous Stimuli with the BrainPort CHI '20, April 2019
Blind teen raising money for technology to help him see the world around him NewsCenterMaine.com, April 2019
BrainPort Training in Chile (Spanish Language) Teletrece 13, December 2018
BrainPort Vision Pro Closing The Gap, November 2018
Seeing with the Brain Wisconsin People & Ideas Magazine, Winter 2018
Erik Weihenmayer's Wall of Dreams Real Sports w/Bryant Gumbel / HBO, December 2017
Device uses touch as a substitute for sight Madison Magazine, October 2017
Sight: It's On The Tip of Your Tongue Ever Widening Circles, October 2017
Seeing With Your Tongue The New Yorker, May 2017
Tasting Sight Vimeo, November 2016
High-tech vision: Nonsurgical device allows blind to gauge surroundings TribLIVE, November 2016
BrainPort creates brighter future for blind Americans Fox 2 now St. Louis, October 2016
Finding Vision and Hope Through Modern Technology Sandy's View, August 2016
Technology Helps a Blind Cubs Fan "See" The Action CBS 2 Chicago, July 2016
A taste of vision: Device translates from camera to brain, via the tongue University of Wisconsin-Madison News, July 2016
BrainPort Generates Hope on Father's Day The Chicago Lighthouse, June 2016
Device for the Profoundly Blind Uses Tongue Electrodes OIS@ASCRS 2016 Mtg., May 2016
Taste the Sights Around You? Penn State University, April 2016
New Technology Innovations (Chinese language), Beijing TV, April 2016
Wicab, Inc. Meets with the China Disabled Persons Federation (Chinese language), January 2016
The Ophthalmologist Magazine Innovation Award for 2015 The Ophthalmologist, December 2015
Gift of Sight: Community donates device to help blind woman see WOIO-19 CBS Cleveland, November 2015
Could an electric lollipop help blind people to get around? Science Museum, London, October 2015
Argentine Journalist Discovers New Hope at Chicago Lighthouse The Chicago Lighthouse, September 2015
An Artist: How Technology Helped Emilie Gossiaux Overcome Blindness to Rediscover Her Process Paste, September 2015
First BrainPort patient trained at Chicago Lighthouse following FDA approval The Chicago Lighthouse, July 2015
Seeing with Your Tongue WTMJ-4 NBC Milwaukee, July 6,2015
FDA Approves Device that Lets Blind People See with Their Tongue NBC News, June 19, 2015
Device That Helps Blind See With Their Tongues Just Won FDA Approval Popular Science, June 2015
Wicab's Wearable Vision Device Nears U.S. Market, Thanks to Google EXOME, February 2015
Seeing in Tongues RadioLab, October 2014
New Device Lets Blind Boy See Through Sensations Associated Press, August 2014
Research Insights: The BrainPort Device Akron Children's Hospital, 2013
The Wicab BrainPort: using the tongue to "see" British Library, July 2011
The blind rock climber who sees with his tongue BBC, May 2011
Giving Sight Carnegie Mellon University, 2011
British Soldier Blinded in Iraq Trials New Technology The Telegraph, March 2010
BrainPort Lets the Blind See with the Tongues SingularityHUB, November 2009
Tasting the Light: Device Lets the Blind "See" with Their Tongues Scientific American, August 2009
'Lollipop' Device Helps Reveal Shapes To The Blind Washington Post, July 2009
A Tongue for an Eye: Device Challenges Conventional Vision NIH (National Institute of Health) Record, March 2009
The Blind Climber Who "Sees" With His Tongue Discover Magazine, July 2008
The Brain That Changes Itself: into the abyss The Telegraph, July 2008
Mixed Feelings Wired Magazine, March 2007
Technology May Give Blind A Touch of Sight CBS Evening News, January 2007