Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Geordi La Forge
2. JORDY's VISOR
The Star Trek: The Next Generation Writer/Director's Guide goes into some detail about what was at that point referred to as Geordi's "unusual prosthetic device," which allowed him to "perform some of the functions of a tricorder" by extending his vision well beyond the visible spectrum into the ultra-violet and the infra-red. The Guide/Bible also mentions that there were even plans for Geordi to get replacement "human eyes" in one episode, which would end up being a huge "disappointment" for him.
According to The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, to create Geordi's VISOR (Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement) as we know it today, the art department worked for about three months on different designs and prototypes without much success. Michael Okuda then brought in a plastic hair barrette, which, reproduced to fit, did the job surprisingly well for a lot less money. In the TNG season one DVD extra The Making of a Legend, LeVar Burton also gives the VISOR acronym as "Visual Input Sensory Optical Reflector," which is perhaps a little better than its actual name!
Geordi's VISOR has also directly inspired real-world technology aimed to assist those with visual impairments — most notably Enhanced Vision's NASA-researched JORDY (Joint Optical Reflective Display). The device, still on sale, is a wearable digital magnifier that uses an HD camera for distance, intermediate, and near viewing for people with low vision, and has an HDMI input for watching TV.