Are artificial retinas merely an approach to recover sight, or are they a tool of augmented reality beyond natural eyes in blind people?

Abstract

Implantable artificial retinas have been a considerable technology to help blind people recover their sight. This topic has attracted increasing attention from both patients and clinicians because of the refractory nature of degenerative retinal diseases. A point worth noting is that artificial retinas are conventionally considered to be a tool to help blind patients recover their sight. With the development of materials and sensors, however, such devices might have characteristics of augmented reality that are beyond the capabilities of the natural eye. This study briefly summarizes the current clinical status of implantable artificial retinas, it explores emerging technologies that aim to augment vision, and it discusses the challenges that must be overcome before these devices can be further used clinically. Indeed, the implantation of such advanced retinal prostheses with augmented reality characteristics may bring about new ethical and legal risks that warrant further consideration.