Two interesting articles on work to replace and upgrade human vision.  To begin, Gizmodo covers research to replace the retina with a micro-camera.  The mission being to replace lost vision with a chip that would record and stimulate the natural optical nerves with a chip. 

The second article, from medGadget, reports on an attempt to embed a visual feed into something as basic as a contact lens.  This would allow for a wide range of use from tourism to combat assistance to gaming, as the feed, if combined with GPS and directional awareness, could be overlayed on what the viewer can see in the moment. This could also have influence on education and psychology by adding/removing visual influences which might cause stress or distraction.

Naturally, once somone’s retina is replaced, it should be simple to include this type of visual overlay.

The blueBook

Using a traditional book and covering the print with a conductive ink, the text becomes hyperlinks which, via a processor embedded in the book cover, signals a response on a nearby computer.   Given the constant arguments between traditional books and portable e-reader technologies, there will need to be a discussion of what is best for educational environments, especially for younger students who may benefit from the more traditional format (my opinion on helping children focus, not based on any research I am aware of).  Part of my development was a consistent diet of fantasy novels, often written at a much higher reading level than I was comfortable with (I was introduced to Tolkien in the 3rd grade), which would be read with a dictionary next to me.  As I encountered words I did not understand, I would look it up, work the meaning into the context, and continue.  This might be an excellent method for just in time training for anyone of any age.

I do believe the Kindle and its competitors will be the grown-up tool of choice for accessing and hyperlinking text.  But, I’m not sold that children under the age of 13 need to be using digital solutions, though there is a certain benefit.  We’ll need to track this option to see the eventual implementation.