Smart Eyeglasses That Help the Visually Impaired and Blind Move Forward

Technology  

⯀ There are 253 million people in the world who are visually impaired and out of this figure, 36 million are blind. Technology breakthroughs have improved the lives of those with disabilities making it easier to go through day-to-day activities. More importantly, technology has allowed people to live independently with the development of assistive devices and cool gadgets. It has simplified daily life and made it easier to leave homes, dress up, commute or just enjoy the outdoors.

Here are two examples of futuristic eyeglass technology.

Aira Smart Glasses Make Life Easier for the Visually Impaired

This technology makes use of sounds allows the blind and visually-impaired to ‘echolocate’ their surroundings. Aira brings a human assistant into a blind person’s ear using computer vision technology. The Aira app is downloaded to the user’s phone which is connected to the eyeglasses.

Live-streaming footage is beamed from the camera on the wearer’s glasses to the call center. The company’s agents then generate crisp audio instructions to the person either in the form of directions or descriptions of their surroundings. Agents are not going to give any opinion but merely describe the surroundings and images they see on their dashboards. In effect, the high-tech glasses offer the combination of the latest hardware and the responsive human assistants. It comes with a subscription plan which the ‘explorer’ pays for depending on their needs.

The startup company also plans to introduce its own personal assistant called Chloe that has the capability to read. At some point, users can just point their glasses at texts and the PA can read back what’s written. The company just partnered with AT&T to provide continuous connectivity for eyeglasses that are enabled to read texts on prescription medication bottles and relay the instructions and dosages to patients.

eSight Glasses Let the Legally Blind See

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Another wearable device that helps the legally blind to see is a pair of eSight eyeglasses. It is like a visor worn on the head that enables users to improve their vision. Fitted with a high-speed camera, the images are projected on OLED screens where a specific software enhances and removes any distortions for cleaner images. A person using the smart glasses has a 20/20 vision. There’s even a zoom feature in the camera that allows the wearer to see further than sighted people. Although the device will not be able to assist those who are completely blind, eSight eyeglasses offer those who are legally blind the opportunity to enhance their vision at both near and far distances.

Technology plays a crucial role in human progress and development. In the case of people with disabilities and impairments, technology offers solutions that let them live better and independently. It helps them participate and integrate in society contributing to its transformation.

By  Jane Hooper
Jane is a freelance writer and editor. She is particularly interested in looking at ways to boost intellect, delay mental aging and live longer.