University College London - Sound and vision

A neuroscience laboratory has developed the first audio-based game for the iPhone. Called Bing Bong, it encourages players to use their brains differently by "hearing" the visual world. Developed by University College London's Institute of Ophthalmology, the aim is to keep a ball from hitting the ground by either catching it or bouncing it on a paddle, but the ball is invisible - players can only hear it. R. Beau Lotto, reader in neuroscience at UCL, said the idea stemmed from his laboratory's research into sensory substitution as a means of exploring how the brain makes sense of its surroundings.