One step closer to creating the world's first bionic EYE: Scientists 3D print a prototype 'eyeball'

Scientists have taken another important step towards building the world's first bionic eye, which could give millions of blind people the chance to see again. In a world first, a team of researchers have built a three-dimensional artificial'eyeball' capable of detecting changes in light levels. The bionic eye, which mimics the function of the retina in order to restore sight, works in tandem with an implant to convert the images it sees into electrical impulses for the retinal cells, which carry image signals back to the brain. By using 3D printing, scientists were able to produce the prototype much faster than previous efforts – sparking hope this could be a viable commercial solution in future. However, there is no date on when a final version will be ready for patients.