Bionic eye success in sight
Bionic Vision Australia, based in Melbourne, has brought together the biomedical engineers and researchers who were involved in the development of the cochlear implant, to trial the ‘bionic eye’.
The eye could be just two years away after a $50 million funding injection from the government.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd released his response to the 2020 summit in Perth on Wednesday. He promised $50.7 million of grants over four years into the development of a bionic eye – a process to be administered by the Australian Research Council (ARC).
A bionic eye would help people who have a degenerative eye diseases, like age-related macular degeneration (the loss of central vision) or diseases, like retinitis pigmentosa (a group of genetic eye conditions).
It would initially be used as a navigation aid for people who are completely blind and as the technology improves, it could then help people read large print and recognise faces.
BVA director Tony Burkitt said, 'Our experience with the Cochlear implant indicates that it's the technology and ability to be able to implement that in a clinical setting, which could give us the edge.’
