By putting a microchip in the eye and wearing a pair of glasses, a blind person may be able to have some vision again, according to researchers at MIT. Professor John Wyatt plans to start implanting the chip within the next 3 years. Here's how it works. The glasses that patients wear contains a coil that wirelessly transmits power to receiving coils surrounding the eyeball. The eyeball holds a microchip encased in a sealed titanium case to avoid damage from water seepage. The chip receives visual information and activates electrodes that in turn fire the nerve cells that carry visual input to the brain.

Although Dr. Wyatt and his crew are getting the bulk of the attention when it comes to retinal implants, electrical engineer Dr. Wentai Liu has been working on restoring vision in the blind for over 20 years. He implanted his first patient in 2002 with limited results, however, he has 10 patients on his waiting list to be implanted.