Discussion Forum: Bionic Eyes
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Penetrode Inc. presents the Opti-scan visual enhancement system, the latest in ocular prosthetics. Opti-scan is capable not only of restoring sight to the blind but also of providing them with additional capabilities beyond those of the normally sighted. The housing of the implant is designed to mimic the external appearance of the eye and comes with an iris capable of changing colors to suit the daily tastes of our customers. A series of small motors implanted within the eye socket will provide human like eye movements while allowing for much greater tracking speeds than is possible with normal muscle.
The heart of the technology is thin film photosensitive ceramic panels that are located in the back of the eye. These panels take light signals and transduce them into electrical signals that stimulate the ganglial cells. The stimulated ganglial cells allow for the signal to be processed along the optical nerve to the visual cortex. If there is extensive damage to the ganglial cells or the optical nerve then the signal can be routed directly to the lateral genicuate nucleus, which is where the optic nerve connects to the visual cortex.
A massive zoom/magnification function will allow for telescopic sight similar to that of a high grade set of binoculars and the ability to greatly magnify nearby objects achieving magnification power similar to that of many laboratory microscopes. Opti-scan uses digital magnification features similar to those found in most digital cameras to achieve this additional functionality. Opti-scan is also available with night vision, thermal imaging, and high definition video and still photo capture. Images captured through the Opti-scan can be downloaded via Bluetooth and WiFi to any personal computing device. Depending upon the condition of your optic nerve, Opti-scan can be implanted through outpatient surgery and after a brief, two week course of training and therapy you and your new eyes will be fully functional.
Posted Wednesday, 05/28/2008, 3:35pm AZ sign me up for bionic eyes
Posted Sunday, 05/18/2008, 2:42pm AZ Nano-Ology is located at http://nano-ology.blogspot.com/
Posted Sunday, 05/18/2008, 2:40pm AZ Overall, there are two major philosophical issues that this particular scenario deals with, in relation to the impact of nanotechnology on society. First, there is the debate over the encroachment of technology on the human beings mental and physical functions.
Basically, there is a question as to how bionic human beings should be allowed to get, from a moral standpoint. Of course, in theory, there is nothing suggesting that it is impossible to alter every single human motor and mental function with technology. But is there a point at which we believe enough is enough? Is there a point at which human beings cease to be human beings? And, if so, do we have moral objections to this?
Second, this scenario begins to introduce the issue of personal privacy in the age of nanotechnology. It is not difficult to imagine individuals possessing thermal vision capabilities using this to spy on other people – or for other potentially devious means. In short, if everyone was granted such superhuman abilities, it is easy to imagine that an individual’s “right to privacy” would be largely surrendered.
Discussion Continues: Nano-Ology
Posted Sunday, 05/11/2008, 9:18am AZ Bionic eyes are really a boon if commercially available with economy.The other important factor in ophthalmology is that the vision of an individual depends on the background factor mainly colour of material visualised,the lighting of the background and the medium through which the light is passing.For example in an immature cataract the vision is differently coloured is my scientific observation. These things should be taken into consideration while the bionic eyes are developed.
Dr.S.Shanmugam,M.D.Consultant Physician and Nano Researcher,Tirunelveli,India.
Posted Saturday, 05/10/2008, 11:38am AZ Nanocryptochromes ... let humans see magnetic fields!!
Posted Friday, 05/09/2008, 7:35am AZ A big problem with a lot of these situations is that they will not be used right. It is a great idea but it would be used for bad things also. So should we let a few bad apples ruin for everyone? Thats always the question
Posted Thursday, 05/08/2008, 6:49pm AZ How would this affect a person's asthetic sensibilities--that is, their ability to appreciate, say, paintings that were painted to be perceived by "normal" visual abilities?
Posted Thursday, 05/08/2008, 6:44pm AZ Of course people will use this type of technology to enhance their "normal" capabilities, for example baseball players will want to improve their ability to track an incoming fastball. And of course not everyone will be able to afford this sort of thing--just like everyone can't afford private schools or houses in safe neighborhoods, so we can expect an exacerbation of inequality in the absence of some sort of regulatory structure. The key, actually, will be to address these questions early on--NOT, as the first comment says, after the capability has been proved, because at that point the vested interests will be locked in and it will become politically impossible to actually make decisions about how to govern the development, use, and distribution of the technology.
Posted Monday, 05/05/2008, 12:09pm AZ Just do it... make it happen! Prove the capability, then we can argue the ethics and other issues.
Posted Friday, 05/02/2008, 3:11pm AZ What would happen if we gave bionic eyes to all blind people? We would have a portion of the population with "super human" sight and other abilities like thermal imaging and night vision. With thermal imaging and night vision, there might be problems with privacy rights--would we need new definitions of what "privacy" means? Would it be illegal for people with bionic eyes to see inside other people's houses and watch their every move by detecting body heat? How would any laws making thermal imaging of people in their homes illegal be enforced? Because it would be very difficult to pass and enforce laws dictating what people can or cannot look at, individuals within our society might have to surrender more of their privacy rights.
What also concerns me about this technology is that it would eventually be used for enhancement purposes, rather than therapeutic purposes. For example, this technology would initially be used to restore sight to the blind, but won't people with "normal" vision want the advantages and cool features of bionic eyes too? Would there need to be standards or laws that determine qualifications for receiving bionic eyes? If so, who should determine those laws? If all people who are blind be allowed to receive the technology, there is the possibility that people with 'normal' vision will purposely blind themselves in order to qualify for these new bionic eyes. Should there be restrictions as to who receives the technology based upon the individuals' backgrounds and criminal records? What if everyone was able to have these new bionic eyes? Everyone would be able to use the amazing features of the bionic eyes, but what would a society with thermal imaging and night vision capabilities look like and how would people be expected to behave with their new abilities?