Sometimes people use technology such as artificial limbs to regain capabilities that they have lost. San Francisco artist Tanya Vlach lost her left eye in a 2005 car accident. Since then she has used a prosthetic eye, but now she wants something more.

Vlach issued a challenge to engineers to create a small Webcam that can fit into her prosthetic eye. As Vlach puts it: "There have been all sorts of cyborgs in science fiction for a long time, and I'm sort of a sci-fi geek. With the advancement of technology, I thought, 'Why not?'"

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Of course, the eye cam would not be connected to her brain, so it would not function as an actual eye replacement. But still, it could be very practical. Have you ever forgotten where you put something? An eye cam could show you.

A large number of engineers have already responded to her call with possible plans and prototypes. I hope Vlach is able to get some form of working eye cam; I'm interested in what she'd do with it as an artist. Vlach says she has lots of ideas for how the eye cam could be used, promising that none of them are "too exploitative." She also wants to wait for inspiration to strike her when she has the device. As long as that inspiration doesn't come from films like Terminator and Blade Runner, I think she'll be just fine.

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