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Bar-Ilan Engineering Faculty Developing Ways to Improve Sight and Hearing

Creative energy, originality and vision have always been at the heart of the research taking place amongst the faculty at the BIU School of Engineering. Two sterling examples of how BIU engineers are improving the quality of life for people around the world are the following breakthrough projects:

Bionic Contact Lens Helps the Blind See

Prof. Zeev Zalevsky, in collaboration with Prof. Michael Belkin of Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, has developed a prototype contact lens that shows great promise in enabling the visually impaired to see the world around them.

The revolutionary device, which is worn like a regular contact lens, processes digital images and translates them into tactile sensations which can then be felt on the cornea, allowing the user to form a picture of the physical surroundings. 

The system uses a smartphone or mounted camera to capture images that are then transformed into a form of electronic Braille. The lens, fitted with electrodes, stimulates the cornea to enable the perception of objects around the wearer. Preliminary clinical trials have been conducted, and the lens is now set to undergo further testing.

Find additional insights into how Prof. Zalevsky’s inventions enable people to see the world in a whole new wayÌý»

Fine-Tuning Technology for Improved Hearing Aids

Engineering Prof. Sharon Gannot develops and validates novel de-reverberation algorithms for binaural (two cooperating) hearing aids which can reduce undesired noise, resulting in a greater hearing capability and even, enhanced spatial impression. 

For the 35%-50% of seniors aged 65 and older who suffer from hearing loss, this frontier research offers promise for minimizing disturbing background noise and reverberations that impede the efficacy of their hearing aids.