A research team from Harvard-M.I.T. has found promising results in the development of an "artificial retina," according to this report:

Five people with retinitis pigmentosa, the leading cause of inherited blindness, reported seeing spots and lines of light with the help of the device. A sixth person, about to lose her sight to cancer, also saw the light patterns.

The retina is a screen of cells at the back of the eye that records light coming through the pupil and converts it to nerve pulses that register as vision at the back of the brain. The artificial retina directly excites these nerve cells with electric probes.

They're still far off, though. Researchers say they still have a lot of work to do to "crack the code" between the retina and the brain that lets people actually see a face, or the sky or trees.