I've observed a few new aspects to Ball State University, and it hasn't been limited to the construction progress on the Communication and Media Building or the East Residence Park Hall.
I've seen an individual in a wheelchair accompanied by a service dog, an individual guiding himself down McKinley Avenue with the help of a walking stick and a person being led by a guide dog.
In the wake of the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, there is a lot of talk about freedom, but what about other types of freedom that are often taken for granted. The ability to read, participate in athletics or being able to see the face of your best friend are examples of expected abilities we have for ourselves.
Could you rely on a service dog, walking stick or your tongue to get through the day? It seems like a trick question, but in reality it's possible to rely on any of them with training.
It only seems appropriate to introduce you to the invention of the BrainPort vision device developed by Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita out of the University of Wisconsin. After all, we are attending a university that used to pride itself on the slogan "Cutting Edge Cool" before "Education Redefined" took its place.
The BrainPort device consists of a small camera attached to the forehead of a blind individual. The camera is able to scan images and send electrical impulses through a small piece of red plastic to a grid positioned on the tongue. The impulses send outlines of shapes and the location of objects through nerve fibers to the brain. The impulse gradually becomes stronger as you approach an object.
Amazingly, some people who have been used in testing the device have been able to sense another person in front of them, go through doorways, and catch a ball. It sounds like an invention straight from "The Matrix" because the idea is based on substituting the visual and motion senses of the brain.
This invention is surely going to bring the hopes of vision to real life for blind people and can provide them with a second chance to see the world.
The device isn't limited to only the blind, as it has been proposed that branches of the military may use the mechanism.
The device would allow members of the military to keep their eyes looking forward instead of being preoccupied with the observation of mapping or sonar devices.
Of course modifications to BrainPort would be made, but the vision is to give 360-degrees of unobstructed night view without huge night-vision goggles to Army Rangers and for Navy SEALs to sense sonar in their heads, while being able to keep their normal underwater vision.
The idea of guide or service dogs may not get the recognition of a technological breakthrough, but they play important roles in their respective companion's lives. These dogs probably have more discipline than any individual could imagine. They have been trained to concentrate for long periods of time, walk in straight lines without sniffing, control themselves in crowds and to lie quietly for extended periods of time.
The next time you do poorly on an exam, make a bad play or disagree with one of your friends, remember that you are fortunate to have the freedom to see and do all of those things without fighting a physical or mental disability.
Dan Ladig is a sophomore psychology major and writes 'The Peanut Gallery' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Dan at daladig@bsu.edu.
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