A team of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Washington have developed a technique to stimulate the retina, the latest issue of the journal Science advances reports. Using lasers and tracking technology, they selectively activated specific cells in the retinas of five subjects, enabling them to perceive a color the human eye had never seen before. The research may help solve the mystery of how signals from the retina affect the brain’s perception of colour.
Using an adaptive Optical coherence tomography technique, the team identified patterns of M-type cones, which are unique to each person, for multiple volunteers. Each volunteer then took turns sitting in front of a small square object and focusing on a specific area. At the same time, the researchers shone a laser at their m-shaped cones.
The volunteers were able to see a previously imperceptible colour, which the researchers called“Olo”. The name comes from the letters 0,1, and 0, which represent the L, M, and S cones, respectively. It’s a bit like peacock blue or turquoise, but very saturated.
The team then showed the volunteers photos and videos in the color“Olo,” giving them a whole new visual experience.
The technology has been named Oz. It’s run by a software program called the Wizard, which works by controlling the precise amount of light delivered to each cell in the retina to trick the brain into interpreting the color signals, or create signals that the brain has never experienced before.
The technique has the potential to create new colors and even allow colorblind people to perceive differences in hues that would otherwise go unnoticed.