This is an applied research proposal which has a broad scientific base, ie., neurophysiology, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and micro-manufacturing. The purpose of this research is to produce a device having a very high density of stimulating micro- electrodes, perhaps a thousand micro-electrodes per square centimeter. This device will be implanted directly onto the surface of the visual cortex of test animals and used to produce artificial visual information by electrically stimulating their brain cells. This new technology could lead to many new applications including: artificial vision for the irreversibly blind, artificial nerve-nerve and nerve- muscle connections, direct access to the brain for the control of abnormal nervous electrical outputs, and neural and muscular monitoring electrodes.
