Replacement synthetic senses for people are now a reality. Children as young as 12 months are already getting artificial hearing - while the first trials of electronic retinas for the blind are just beginning. Alan catches up with Kelley Flynn, whom he saw three years ago as she was undergoing surgery for a cochlear implant. At the time, Kelley was seven, and desperately wanted to both hear and speak normally. Alan recalls filming the dramatic moment when Kelley's artificial hearing was first turned on. Since then Kelley has worked hard on her speech and now, as she tells Alan, she wants to become an actress. Inspired by the success of cochlear implants for the profoundly deaf, many researchers are now trying to develop artificial retinas for those who are blind due to retinal diseases.
$1.99 |
Amazon Video on Demand
Length: 28:00 Aired: 4/6/2005
