Visual task performance in the blind with the BrainPort V100 Vision Aid

Abstract

Introduction: The BrainPort ® V100 Vision Aid is a non-invasive assistive device for the blind based on sensory substitution. The device translates camera images into electrotactile stimuli delivered to the tongue. The BrainPort has recently received the CE mark and FDA approval and it is currently marketed to augment, rather than replace, the traditional assistive technologies such as the white cane or guide dog. Areas covered: In this work, we will review the functional studies performed to date with the BrainPort and we will highlight the critical factors that determine device performance, including the technology behind the BrainPort, the impediments to assessing device performance, and the impact of device training and rehabilitation. Expert commentary: The BrainPort enables blind people to perceive light, identify simple objects, recognize short words, localize simple objects, and detect motion and orientation of objects. To achieve this, proper rehabilitation and training regimes are crucial. ARTICLE HISTORY

Psychophysical Evaluation of a Tactile Display Based on Coin Motors

“…Performance on oblique stimuli in visual , haptic and vibrotactile tasks have been shown to improve after training. In general, training is an essential component in rehabilitation with sensory substitution devices . Our subjects were all naïve to the tasks and they did not receive any training.…”

Report on the National Eye Institute Audacious Goals Initiative: Replacement of Retinal Ganglion Cells from Endogenous Cell Sources

“…If the quality of vision that many of us enjoy is needed, then it will require many more cells. In sensory substitution experiments, a 256 × 256 grid of sensory input to the tongue is sufficient for a person to obtain enough information about the visual world to ambulate, 102 so it may require fewer cells than usually considered necessary for ambulatory vision. It is also likely that the cortical fill-in phenomenon will permit scene recognition even in a limited visual field.…”

Augmented Reality Powers a Cognitive Prosthesis for the Blind

“…The most direct route is electrical stimulation of surviving cells in the retina (Stingl and Zrenner, 2013; Weiland and Humayun, 2014) or of neurons in the visual cortex (Dobelle et al, 1974). Another option involves translating the raw visual image into a different sensory modality (Loomis et al, 2012; Proulx et al, 2016), such as touch (Stronks et al, 2016) or hearing (Auvray et al, 2007; Capelle et al, 1998; Meijer, 1992). So far, none of these approaches has enabled any practical recovery of the functions formerly supported by vision.…”

“…So far, none of these approaches has enabled any practical recovery of the functions formerly supported by vision. Despite decades of efforts all users of such devices remain legally blind (Luo and da Cruz, 2016; Stingl et al, 2017; Striem-Amit et al, 2012; Stronks et al, 2016). While one can certainly hope for progress in these domains, it is worth asking what are the fundamental obstacles to current visual prostheses.…”