NANOCHIP DEVELOPS TECHNOLOGY ENABLING BLIND PEOPLE TO SEE

HANGZHOU, SEPTEMBER 25 /SRNA/ – A technology based on a brain-computer interface that could enable blind people to see again and independently perform everyday tasks was presented at the Fifth Global Digital Trade Expo in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

The Nanochip Company says it has developed two brain-computer interface-based products, one of which is already in the clinical trial stage. The technology is currently intended for people who lost their sight during their lifetime, rather than those who have been blind since birth. "We are currently in the clinical stage, and two patients have had our product implanted. One of them had been blind for 20 years, and the other for four years. With the help of our equipment, they can now see, write words, grasp objects, and perform tasks independently," a Nanochip representative told SRNA. He explained that the system works by using a camera mounted on special glasses to capture images of the surroundings. The visual information is then converted into signals and transmitted to an implanted chip, after which the patient is able to see. According to him, the technology’s capabilities were also demonstrated to visitors at the expo through video footage showing blind patients writing Chinese characters, recognising and picking up objects and bottles from a table, and performing certain tasks without assistance. In addition to the vision-restoration technology, the expo also featured a range of other solutions based on artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces, particularly in the fields of medicine and rehabilitation. These include advanced systems for controlling prosthetic limbs using brain signals, including robotic arms and legs. Such technology enables prosthetic movements to be controlled by brain signals, in a similar way to how the brain naturally controls the movements of a human arm or leg. The expo, which opened yesterday, is one of China's major events dedicated to digital trade, presenting visitors with numerous technological solutions aimed at improving people's everyday lives and work. The Fifth Global Digital Trade Expo will run until Sunday, September 27.