Bill Lundgren interviews Lily Turkstra, a PhD researcher at UC Santa Barbara, on the realities of visual prostheses. They unpack who qualifies, what “seeing” with phosphenes is like, how training works, and why expectation-setting and mental health support are critical. Takeaways: current implants provide rudimentary perception, not natural vision; outcomes vary; support systems and rehab matter; independence gains are possible but individualized; clinicians and families must align on expectations.

Contact Info

Guest resources: bionic-vision.org (lab hub), bionicvision.org (lab site)

Aftersight: (720) 712-8856 • [email protected]

• aftersight.org

Producer: Jonathan Price • [email protected]

Show Credits

Host: Bill Lundgren

Guest: Lily, PhD researcher, UCSB (Bionic Vision)

Producer: Jonathan Price

Editor/Mix: Aftersight Audio Team

A production of Aftersight

Chapter Markers

00:00 — Why prosthetics in blindness matters

01:10 — Guest intro: Lily’s path to bionic vision

02:22 — From auditory perception to NASA to face blindness

03:40 — Who qualifies for visual implants

05:05 — Argus II and early devices

07:06 — What users actually “see”: phosphenes

08:20 — Learning a new visual language

09:30 — Daily-life integration vs lab outcomes

10:45 — Setting expectations for users and families

12:05 — Trade-offs: adaptation vs frustration

14:10 — What recognition is possible today

15:30 — Rehab and training workflows

16:37 — Practical home practice examples

18:10 — Community, altruism, and trial motivation

19:45 — Device limits vs “personal failure”

21:23 — External pressure and mental health

22:40 — “Change your life” claims, defined

23:51 — Independence as the real metric

25:10 — Measuring success outside the lab

27:10 — Family dynamics and letting go

30:01 — Finding peers and support

32:18 — Access barriers and consistency of care

34:25 — Integrating the device back into life

36:30 — Therapy and anxiety considerations

38:48 — Pre-implant psychological screening

41:18 — Whole-person fit and timing

43:40 — Research vs user expectations gap

46:01 — Co-design with users

48:23 — Why structured support groups would help

49:01 — Where to find trials and teams

51:28 — Resource sharing for the public

53:51 — Summary: useful, not universal; mindset matters

56:18 — Closing and resources recap