Scientists Hong Kong University of Science and Technology created a kind of artificial eye that promises to be more “powerful” than the human eyes. The technological device does not have telescopic or night vision settings, but the eyepiece invention can be sharper than real eyes, says Zhiyong Fan, one of the project's leaders in an interview with the magazine. Nature. 5vv2e
Os scientists explain that the artificial eye has a structure similar to the real ones of humans. The most interesting thing about the invention is the possibility of powering it from sunlight, that is, the does not need to remove the device from the face or depend on a conventional charger for its operation, for example.
Artificial eye structure 1q1r5m
The bionic eye is made up of a lens, an artificial retina, perovskite nanowires — a mineral composed of calcium and titanium oxide — and porous aluminum oxide. Regarding formation, the researchers say the artificial eye is two centimeters in diameter, has a hollow center that has been filled with conductive fluid, and is the size of an adult eye.
“Each nanowire can function as a small solar cell. In that case, we don’t need external energy.”
Zhiyong Fan, research leader at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Like real eyes, this model from the Hong Kong scientists has a focusing lens and a hemispherical retina. On the back, wires that are connected to the retina send processing signals to the brain, similar to the eyeball of humans.
So far, scientists have not tested the artificial eye on real people. Therefore, it is not possible to have an idea of how it will behave. However, the team ran tests on computers linked to the bionic eye and it efficiently recognized the letters Y, I and E.
Hongrui Jiang, an electrical engineer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, approved of the Hong Kong scientists' creation, but saw a snag when he analyzed the production of the nanowires, which are behind the eye.
“For a few hundred nanowires, fine, but what about millions? Engineers will need a much more efficient way to fabricate large sets of tiny wires at the back of the artificial eyeball to achieve superhuman vision.”
Hongrui Jiang, an electrical engineer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
For Fan, the idea is that the technological invention can be made available to people who cannot see. However, producing something like this takes time as well as being very expensive. If there is no improvement and alternatives to popularize it, most likely the artificial eye will not reach the public.
Sources: Science News; New Scientist.
