Enhancing sight with a bionic eye
285 million people around the world live with irreversible vision loss.
However, dozens of research groups are working on bionic eye technologies
that might one day restore vision to people who are blind.
Bionic vision: Innovators around the globe
Discover how research groups, companies, and innovators across the globe are advancing bionic vision technologies to enhance sight for those with blindness:
USA:
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- Cortigent, Inc.
- Golden Eye Bionics, LLC
- Nanovision Biosciences
- Second Sight Medical Products
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
- University of Southern California (USC)
Belgium:
France:
Germany:
Austria:
Czechia:
USA:
- Bionic Eye Technologies
- Bionic Sight, LLC
- Cornell University
- Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
- Johns Hopkins University
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- MicroProbes for Life Science
- National Institutes of Health
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
- Rutgers University
- State University of New York (SUNY)
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- University of Rochester
- Weill Cornell Medicine
Portugal:
USA:
China:
Denmark:
Russia:
China:
Upcoming Events
IEEE EMBC '25
IEEE EMBC '25: 47th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society
July 14, 2025 - July 18, 2025
Bella Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
The Eye & The Chip '25
The Eye & The Chip '25: 14th World Research Congress on Artificial Vision
September 28, 2025 - September 30, 2025
The Westin Southfield Hotel, Southfield, MI, USA
SfN '25
SfN '25: Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
November 15, 2025 - November 19, 2025
San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, USA
Research Spotlights
In our newly established interview series, we aim to learn from leading research scientists, company founders, and luminaries in the field of bionic vision. Join us as we explore the academic and scientific aspects of this captivating domain, uncovering the minds and ideas driving the progress of vision restoration.
From Collapse to Comeback: Behind the Scenes of Pixium Vision’s Revival with Dr. Brian Burg
April 26, 2024 8:34 AM
A Visionary Journey: Prof. Gregg Suaning on Bionic Vision Research in Australia
February 29, 2024 8:10 AM
Exploring Frontiers in Neuroprosthetics and Ethics: An Interview with Dr. Xing Chen
November 28, 2023 8:15 AM
From Personal Experience to Big Picture Perspectives: Dr. Gordon Legge on Low Vision Research and the Bionic Vision Landscape
October 19, 2023 9:29 AM
A Visionary Journey: Dr. Philip Hessburg's Lifelong Quest for Vision Restoration
September 24, 2023 8:07 AM
Background
Restoring a functional level of vision to people living with vision loss has been a dream of medicine for centuries. Although we are still far from restoration of high-resolution vision, bionic eye technologies are overcoming crucial bottlenecks and are slowly moving from the laboratory into the clinic.
In combination with cell implants, gene therapy, and optogenetics, a wide variety of sight restotation technologies should be available in the near future.
Learn more:
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Media Copyright Information
All images used with permission. Introduction graphic: © Getty. Background graphic: © Tracy Spohn/Shutterstock.
Made with at UC Santa Barbara, with generous support from the bionic vision community (2020—2025).
All our content (unless otherwise noted) is licensed under CC-BY 4.0.