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Zack Lynch is author of The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science Is Changing Our World (St. Martin's Press, July 2009).
He is the founder and executive director of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO) and co-founder of NeuroInsights. He serves on the advisory boards of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, the Center for Neuroeconomic Studies, Science Progress, and SocialText, a social software company. Please send newsworthy items or feedback - to Zack Lynch.
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March 4, 2003

Navy Seals to See with Their Tongues

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Posted by Zack Lynch


It turns out that the tongue is the ideal interface through which to obtain additional information about the environment. 


U.S Navy Seals are currently in the exploration phase of testing a device that will help them "see" in soupy-water environments.  The plastic oral retainer device is connected to a infrared camera that transmits information to the tongue via 100 different microscopic metal points.  This seems to be enough information to be able to navigate successfully in a 3-D environment. 


Unlike every other part of the body the tongue has no dead layers of skin, the saliva conducts electricity well, requiring only 3% of the voltage of normal skin.  According to one prototype user, "it feels like pop rocks candy."

Comments (0) | Category: NBIC 03-04-05



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