summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/senses.mdwn
blob: 622daef144c0f823714ccb2784b1da28d508da7d (plain)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
##sensory substitution
neuroscientist [bach y rita](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bach-y-Rita) 
came up with the idea of [sensory substitution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_substitution)
to bring sight to the blind with a mesh of electrodes on the tongue or skin of 
the back. 

###fish mask
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroreception#Electrolocation>

fish sense their environment through electric field receptors on the medial line 
running down their sides. capacitive sensors are easy to build, and such a sense 
would be useful in many situations, such as walking in complete darkness, not 
getting run over by cars while operating a wearable computer, navigating dense 
underbrush, detecting incoming missiles.

how best to interface these electric field sensors to the human sensory 
apparatus? tactile stimulation of the face and scalp immediately jumps out as a 
360 degree spherical surface to represent the electric field of the environment. 

- weighted vibrating motors are established technology, but are bulky and 
limited in frequency response.

- piezo buzzers promise instantaneous response (no inertia) a variable frequency 
output, and compact lightweight construction.

- direct electrostimulation is even more compact and 
inexpensive, but carries complications from electrode biocompatibility, 
electrochemical leeching, and maintaining consistent contact.

###near-infrared vision
<https://experiment.com/projects/can-we-biologically-extend-the-range-of-human-vision-into-the-near-infrared>

Porphyropsin, a.k.a. 3,4-dehydroretinol, a.k.a. Vitamin A2

- increases human eye sensitivity to light in 850nm-950nm range to perceptible levels

- must be on vitamin A1-free diet

  - causes loss of sensitivity to blue light

### night vision eyedrops
<http://scienceforthemasses.org/2015/03/25/a-review-on-night-enhancement-eyedrops-using-chlorin-e6/>

- gabriel licina and jeffrey tibbetts showed improved night vision after 
applying 3.2mg of chlorin e6 and 6 units of insulin in 150ul of saline solution 
with 6% DMSO to the eye.

- chlorin e6, a tetrapyrolle and a chlorophyll analog, has been used as a 
photosensitizer in laser assisted cancer remediation. The light amplification 
properties of the Ce6 are used to use the energy from a low power light source 
to destroy cancerous cells with literal laser precision. The reaction creates 
oxygen species which induce apoptosis in tumor cells. This lead to the concerns 
about the mixture, as it would be possible that bright or even ambient 
daylight’s amplified effect in the eye may harm the cells, potentially causing 
permanent damage.