Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/1152989
17 t m c » p u l s e | a u g u s t 2 0 1 9 Then, the team would test whether a blind person can imagine an image that can be transferred back to a computer for researchers to see. The final test would determine whether images can be transferred back and forth between the minds of blind patients. Researchers are working with blind patients because they are required to work with patients who could benefit from the technol- ogy—eventually, those patients could potentially be connected to cameras that help them "see" without brain surgery. Working with blind patients provides an important opportunity to study brain-computer interfaces, said Michael Beauchamp, Ph.D., pro- fessor and vice chair of basic research at Baylor 's department of neurosurgery. "Humans are primarily visual creatures," he said. "A big chunk of the brain is dedicated to vision. If you want that interface, the visual cortex [of the brain] is a natural target." In a separate project, Beauchamp and his colleagues at Baylor, along with a team at the University of California, Los Angeles, are work- ing with a company called Second Sight that has developed a pair of glasses outfitted with a video camera that transmits images to a tiny computer chip implanted in the brains of the blind. The resolution isn't great—only about 60 pixels—but it's enough to allow for basic functionality. Paul Phillips, who lost his sight more than 13 years ago and is using the device, says the technology hasn't restored his sight. But it does allow him to detect the difference between dark and light. He can identify the location of his white sofa, for example, and he can tell the difference between the sidewalk and the grass when he's out- side his home. Although the device doesn't allow him to perceive color, he was able to recently detect the light and motion of fireworks. Over time, researchers hope to improve the resolution of those images. And in theory, the technology being developed as part of the DARPA project may help patients like Phillips one day "see" without the need for brain surgery. ➟ Jacob Robinson, Ph.D., works in his lab at Rice University.