BrainPort is a technology sold by Wicab Inc. whereby sensory information can be sent to one's brain via a signal from the BrainPort (and its associated sensor) that terminates in an electrode array which sits atop the tongue. It was initially developed by Paul Bach-y-Rita

Paul Bach-y-Rita

Paul Bach-y-Rita was an American neuroscientist whose most notable work was in the field of neuroplasticity. Bach-y-Rita was one of the first to seriously study the idea of neuroplasticity , and to introduce sensory substitution as a tool to treat patients suffering from neurological...

 as an aid to people's sense of balance, particularly of stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

 victims. Bach-y-Rita founded Wicab in 1998.

BrainPort technology has been developed for use as a visual aid. For example, the BrainPort has demonstrated its ability to allow a blind person to see his surroundings in polygonal and pixel form. In this scenario, a camera picks up the image of the surrounding, the information is processed by a chip which converts it into impulses which are sent through an electrode array, via the tongue, to the person's brain. The human brain is able to interpret these impulses as visual signals and they are then redirected to the visual cortex, allowing the person to see (similar in theory to how a cochlear implant

Cochlear implant

A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing...

works).