Scientists at MIT and institutions have developed a low-cost “seeing machine” that can allow some people who are blind or visually challenged to access the Internet, view the face of a friend and much more.

The portable seeing machine is about five inches square and mounted on a flexible tripod that makes it easy to carry. A digital camera is attached to the top. The visual feed from the camera travels into the seeing machine to a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) illuminated by LEDs. The visual data is then focused into a single “point” that travels into the eye.