Researchers have developed smart glasses that improve the vision of people who see blurry images due to eye problems. Coming from Oxford University, they claim to have lenses that enhance the image of nearby people or objects, thus giving a clearer sense of space. At least this what the Royal National Institute for the Blind claims, featuring an important invention for millions of people.
A typical example is the 70-year-old, Lyn Oliver that since her 20s has been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and can’t really see well. The woman moves around along with the guide dog, Jess, like other 2 million people in England, who, according to the BBC, have partially lost their sight . However, the smart glasses come to make a difference in their lives because, thanks to custom 3D camera, the images are converted to cleaner and brighter versions.
More specifically, these images get processed by a computer and are instantly projected onto the lens, thereby making everyone in their users’ field of vision visible immediately. Anyone who wears these glasses will be able to identify the risks of the ground and not stumble often. In this way, they will become more independent and will move with greater ease. Those who tried it, they loved it and they can even see details on the faces or can take a look at their guide dog for the very first time, explains Dr. Stephen Hicks of the University of Oxford.
The test that Lyn Oliver had to go through using the glasses had positive results since she walked in the indoor market in Oxford with comfort and overcame every obstacle that was in front of her. I can see you! I’m standing here, talking and not thinking. With the glasses, I can find doors more easily, I can walk between tables or locate the stairs without help, said an excited Lyn to BBC.
However one of the glasses’ disadvantages is that the pair needs to be connected to laptop, but that is something that is expected to be overcome in the future. The same applies to their large size, since experts promise that they will be able to adapt them to normal size glasses, with their cost approaching the price of a mobile phone! By the end of the year, about 100 pairs of smart glasses will have been built, which will be given to blind and partially sighted people. If the procedure goes well, then the production number will increase over the next two years.
These glasses may not be able to give people the lost vision back, but they help them in the perception of space. In other words, the user is able to make the most of his existing sight, being able to distinguish additional details that will help them realize who or what lies ahead of him. Of course, they work equally well in low light conditions, to offer freedom and confidence during the night hours.
For more check: Smart clothes that guide blind people
