VISOR
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In the Star Trek fictional universe, a VISOR is a device used to scan the electromagnetic spectrum, create visual input, and transmit it into the brain of the wearer via the optic nerves. It is a thin, curved device, with the sensors on the convex side, that covers the eyes and attaches at small input jacks implanted in the temples. The only VISORs seen on screen were used by the Enterprise-D's chief engineer, Geordi La Forge, who has been naturally blind from birth. VISOR ostensibly stands for "Visual Instrument and Sight/Sensory Organ Replacement", but this is most likely a backronym.
As well as supplying Geordi La Forge with the sense of sight, the VISOR also caused him constant pain. Geordi endured this pain without complaining, though he occasionally (at least three times) removed the VISOR with an audiable sigh of relief.
In the second season, Doctor Katherine Pulaski told LaForge that she could regenerate his optical nerve, giving him natural eyesight removing the need for the VISOR.
Security Issues
Over the years the VISOR that LaForge wore proved to be a security risk of sorts.
At one point Romulans were able to telepathically brainwash LaForge and turn him into a sleeper agent through his VISOR. The Romulans conditioned him so that when certain signals were received by his VISOR that he would carry out their orders. A Klingon ambassador who was a Romulan agent then tried to use LaForge to assassinate a Klingon governor in the hopes of destroying the Klingon-Federation alliance. Fortunately, this was detected and the Romulan's plot was foiled.
Later, during the events of Star Trek: Generations LaForge was captured by Doctor Tolian Soran. Soran had himself and LaForge transported aboard a renegade Klingon Bird of Prey commanded by the Duras sisters. The doctor tortured him for information, and then had him returned to the Enterprise-D after attaching a transmitter to LaForge's visor. The Klingons were able to use the data transmitted to inflict severe damage on the Enterprise. Even though the renegade Klingon vessel was destroyed, the damage to the Enterprise was so severe that it resulted in the destruction of the stardrive section and the crash landing of the saucer section on Veridian III.
Sometime after the events of Generations, LaForge's VISOR was replaced with occular implants, which he was seen with in the next three movies. The replacement of the VISOR with implants reduced the security risks that came with a removable and easily manipulated VISOR system.
Reality
In reality, New Scientist magazine reported on research as to whether a device similar to a VISOR can actually be created for blind or visually-impaired people. Partial sight has been successfully restored to blind rats by installing an implant behind the retina. [1]
As of 2006, 16 blind people worldwide have had sight partially restored in a procedure where electrodes implanted in their brains take impulses from a camera to allow patients to see lights and outlines of objects. [2]