Watch this robot.... fight blindness!

Eyesi® (pronounced eye see) is “a high-end virtual reality simulator for cataract surgery training”, but we like to think of it as just another amazing member of the Orbis family!

That’s because Eyesi® has been working on board the Flying Eye Hospital for more than 3 years and has become a vital part of our simulation program, helping to train local partners to perform complicated cataract surgeries.

But how can a robot teach such a complex skill? Well, the magic is all in its design…

Eyesi® recreates the whole experience of performing surgery in a safe, educational environment. It uses the latest virtual reality technology to simulate the inside of a human eye and even recreates the atmosphere of an operating theatre – including distracting sounds and reflections from surgical lighting.

This amazing robot also includes different levels, from beginner lessons like learning how to use surgical instruments, all the way to advanced ones like ‘Anterior Vitrectomy’.

And every step of the way, Eyesi® gives students both verbal and written feedback on their surgical skills and how they can improve – yes, Eyesi® can speak!

Of course, once students have mastered Eyesi®’s lessons, their training is still far from over. Surgeons go on to practice on prosthetic eyes in a real operating theatre before getting invaluable experience shadowing a surgeon on the job.

This is what makes our work so special and impactful – when technology and people work together to deliver world-class training, we can share quality, life-changing eye care all around the world. Together, technology and people are transforming lives and we couldn’t do it without the help and generosity of our kind supporters and partners.

Eyesi® might look like the Terminator, but sadly its ability to speak isn’t quite as advanced. But, if it could give us a quote, we think it would say something like this: