I noticed an interesting parallel this week, Currently on Kickstarter LeVar Burton (Geordi from Star Trek Next Generations) is currently promoting a new app Reading Rainbow which aims to help kids to read . The kickstarter has raised over 5 million and counting . At the same time as this Kickstarter is being promoted byLeVar , the technology used by the fiction character Geordi he played is now becoming reality.
Geordi in the show was blind since birth and needed to use a special visor to allow him to see, we are only in the beginning of the 21st century but this concept is already coming to light. Here is a new report about the work of a British scientist who is using BT-100 Epson from what I can make out ( no paper out yet to check but it looks like a modified version ) and a depth sensor to give people who are nearly blind an ability to see the world around them.
Full Disclosure , I got asked for comment on the story and so I’m interview for a few seconds towards the end , they decided I looked more futurist wearing the Oculus Rift for the report , it wasn’t my idea but it made good TV 🙂
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