See Through You Tongue

[Coolriz 0]

Hi all,well yesterday I saw report on BBC which stated that Scientists are now working and have succeded to some extent in developing a technology and a device that can help blind people to see. And whats more useful is that it does so through your TNGUE Now how is that possible ???anybody with detailed information on this subject ? I will be happy to know the details.ThanxCoolriz

[Hadi 0]

Hello, Coolriz, and welcome aboard. No one can see from there tongue, I mean it is just impossible. Seeing is using an eye, and transmit the image that your eye capture to your brain. So scientists would have invented a micro camera, that has some sort of a technique which enables blind people to ''see'' things, through the tongue. That is my opinion, or logic explanation, but that is not proven, plus I don't have detailed information about this.

[bhavesh 0]

I agree with HADI, they might be using some camera. As every body knows to see any object the light must fall on any film which will be acting as a transducer and will send signals in brain or some processor which will process the data to show what you are seeing. But in tongue light can't be changed into any other signals without using any external thing so camera is a must.

[sportytalk 0]

It would be interesting if people could actually through their tongue, but as mentioned above, people see by the lens in their eyes. The images they see are transmitted straight to the brain which then sends a message back to another part of your eye so that you can actually see.This process works the same way as a video camera. The lens actually produces the image.Other than having a lens or some miniature device acting as a lens on your tongue, I can't see any way it's possible of viewing with a tongue. I suppose technology is always improving, so it's extremely hard to predict what kind of products are going to be released. They seem to be releasing all kinds of things every other day!Allowing blind people to see is a huge thing, so no doubt this topic will be brought up a lot in the future in scientist magazines and articles in news or blogs if the scientists manage to fully release a device or way which allows people who've never been able to see before, to be able to lead more of a normal life, like being able to watch TV or something simple like seeing where they're walking so they don't need to use their cane to feel.I'm sure in the very near future, blind people will be able to see with the help of technology.

Edited December 20, 2006 by sportytalk (see edit history)

[slammer 0]

Hmmmm...im sure I heard something about this a while ago. I think what it is, is some sort of glasses thats got light sensor on it and it connects to the tongue somehow...no idea how. and it transmits the pulses to the brain. Its on the tongue because it has the most nerve endings near the skin surface.It can't let them see fully, but like blobs or lights / shadows etc.Need to look into it a bit more though...just trying to re call what i heard before about it!Interesting indeed.

[FLaKes 0]

I dont know how such thing could be possible, it sounds really akward to me. Imagine when you are eating, you would be seeing all the chewed food. What if you accidentally bite your tongue? lol, bet that would be funny. Maybe the tongue is connected to the brain somehow and the managed to connect a camera or something through the tongue. I dont know, its the way I think it could work.

[anto 0]

what? i dont think its possible. It would be really funny. Thanks for the news though!

[daler 0]

Found the article (from 2001) at sciencenews.org.

The article describes a method by which a blind person can "see" using a matrix of electrodes placed on the tongue. Basically, by hooking a camera up to a computer, then attaching the computer to a grid of electrodes placed on the tongue, the device allows a person to get a sense of how something looks. The human brain is incredible adaptive, so with some practice a blind person can use this technology to gain a primitive sort of vision.

Bear in mind that this article was written back in 2001, and in-brain electrode grids have proven a better, more permanent solution in most cases.

[icemarle 0]

Well, I think it'll feel awkward... not to mention useless. What good does it do to see through your tongue? I'd rather see through my back actually... The tongue is always in your mouth, so you don't see anything but the dark and gloomy view of the inside of your mouth.

[daler 0]

I'm sure that if you were blind, any sort of vision would be welcome. In fact (according to the article) this device allowed blind people to see well enough that they could perform assembly line tasks and track movement.

[MarkyMark 0]

no they dont see thro the tongue....they have a very high power video camera hooked up to thier heads then thats wired back into a laptop that its taking down the picture and breaking it down it to a series of pulses..the person has an electrode covering thier tongue and theres thousands of different points on it..the person is taught how to translate the puleses of electricity on thier tongues into a mental picture of whats infront of them..I saw this working on a blind guy and he navigated a corridor full of obsticles with no problems at all..The reporter who isnt blind then tested it out on different cards put infront of him..after a while his brain like the blind persons one translated the pulses on the tongue into a very crude picture.This is an amazing thought..the brain is rewiring itself!!!They also showed CAT scans of a seeing persons brain and pointed out the areas in the brain that are linked with vision..then showed a blind persons..it was all dark and dead in that region of the brain..then they showed someone blind using this thing and the vision area of the brain kicked into life and there was activity there when previously none!!At the moment the person is limited to a usb connection to a powerfull laptop and camera..soon they hope tto make into a pocket size device strictly for the job so maybe a set of glasses with two cameras built in with a wire to a small pocket pc in the pocket.I hope they can pull this off!! imagine what it could do for those poor unfortunate blind ppl

[Saint_Michael 3]

Wow My skull will have a camera attached to it, that would make for good conversation and stuff. Of course After reading the rest and not looking at the wacky pictures. Of course would their really be a market for this though, of course they never mention the price tag and the fact if it will or will not be covered for insurance. Which I doubt it will since replacements parts oculd get expensive as well.It's a great step but due to the greed of the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) they will rely on the usually treatments for the blind to make their big money.

[doomforge 0]

Hello, Coolriz, and welcome aboard. No one can see from there tongue, I mean it is just impossible. Seeing is using an eye, and transmit the image that your eye capture to your brain.
So scientists would have invented a micro camera, that has some sort of a technique which enables blind people to ''see'' things, through the tongue.
That is my opinion, or logic explanation, but that is not proven, plus I don't have detailed information about this.

i disagree if a scientist could somehow end up findin out how to transmit the information (of what the camera sees) in a way that the brain understands it could be quite possible, except that having a camera in your toungue is not very logical, because

a) The Camera would be in your mouth, so, in order to see you would have to open your mouth
what heppens when you eat? you would only see some multicolored sludge
c) dehydration- taking a nice cold drink of water might shortcircuit the camera.

[paulmason411 0]

It would be interesting if people could actually through their tongue, but as mentioned above, people see by the lens in their eyes. The images they see are transmitted straight to the brain which then sends a message back to another part of your eye so that you can actually see.

I don't think your brain sends messages to your eye to see. My interpretation is that the eye collects input and your brain receives that input and then interprets it. The only message going to your eye would be nerves telling your eye how to move. I might be wrong?

[Matt2 0]

Even if it is true how would it be useful? Whenever you want to see something you would have to poke out your tounge wouldn't you? When you are eating you would see the food in your mouth and that would be a bit yuck.