A British soldier blinded in a rocket propelled grenade attack in Iraq is testing pioneering new technology that would enable people to ‘see’ using their tongues.

The Daily Telegraph reports that 24-year-old Craig Lundberg from Liverpool was ‘the obvious’ choice for researchers when choosing someone to test the new £10,000 BlindPort device because he has not allowed his disability to hold him back.

Since his injury, Mr Lundberg has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Help for Heroes – as well as running the London Marathon and playing in the England Blind Football team.

The BlindPort involves using a pair of sunglasses fitted with a motor sensor video camera that transmits images to the wearer through a ‘lollipop’ shaped electrode pad fitted to their tongue.

The lollipop pad stimulates the tongue in the shape of any image that is picked up by the camera – and can differentiate shades of light using varying strengths of pulse.

Researchers say the stimulus to the tongue is similar to champagne bubbles on the tongue, which the brain detects and interprets as images.

Mr Lundberg reports that the system has already proved successful for him in being able to ‘see’ again:

‘The BrainPort is a pair of glasses with a camera attached. The glasses are made by Oakley so they are a pretty cool pair of shades!’ he said.

‘And from the camera there is a lead that goes right onto my tongue – whatever the camera is looking at, I can feel the image on my tongue.’

The device has been developed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in collaboration with the charity for blind ex-service personnel, St Dunstan’s.

MoD eye surgeon Rob Scott travelled with Mr Lundberg to Pittsburg in the US to test the system before a six-month trial in the UK.

Mr Lundberg says he can now read part of an optician’s sight test chart using the device:

‘I could feel with my tongue that the first letter was an A, and then I moved onto the next one. It was amazing. Then I walked down a corridor and I could make out the doorways, the walls and people coming towards me,’ he said.

‘It was the first time since Iraq that I had been able to do that. The equipment needs a lot of work, but it has got huge potential. I believe this could be the next best thing to getting my sight back.’

If the trial proves successful, the BrainPort could be rolled out to other service personnel who have lost their sight.

‘I am very honest though,’ said Mr Lundberg. ‘I will tell the doctors and the scientists straight what I think of the technology – I won’t lie to them. But so far I am impressed.’

© 5r1 Limited 2010