.jpg)
This advanced technology, developed at Monash University in Australia, offers users not only the restoration of sight but also new possibilities for navigating various environments, whether indoors or outdoors, with the ability to distinguish people and objects in their surroundings.
Most cases of blindness are caused by damage to the optic nerves that connect the retina to the brain. However, this new technology, called Gennaris, bypasses that limitation. The system opens new horizons for treating blindness and improving the quality of life for the visually impaired.
The Gennaris system consists of an adjustable headset equipped with a camera, a wireless transmitter, a vision processing unit, and software that facilitates communication between these components. The system also requires the implantation of small chips, each about nine millimeters in diameter, into the brain. The camera captures and analyzes the scene, then wirelessly transmits the data to the chips, which convert it into electrical pulses that stimulate the brain via microscopic electrical pathways.
According to Professor Arthur Lohr from the Monash University Institute of Biomedical Discovery, the goal of this device is to restore visual perception for individuals who have lost their ability to see by providing electrical stimulation to the brain's visual cortex, the area responsible for processing visual information.
He further explained that the design generates a visual pattern consisting of 172 light points, known as phosphenes, which allow the user to navigate effectively and identify their surroundings.