Smart Glasses make massive difference to visually impaired people

For regular readers of bespoken one thing should be evident; and that is that assistive technology develops and evolves at a staggering pace. We’re forever finding incredible pieces of technology that have the potential to change people’s lives, and then a few months down the line a new one comes out that wipes the floor with previous models.

Today I found one of the coolest and most mindboggling inventions yet for visually impaired people. Using the notion that most people who are registered as blind have a tiny bit of light perception, scientists have built smart glasses that can give eyesight back to the blind… to an extent.

To what extent?

The glasses are equipped with special 3D cameras which record what’s happening in front of them in real time and then project what they’re looking at onto the lenses. The image is far from perfect, but it clearly shows shapes, contours, silhouettes and movements as they happen. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) website describes it thus:

'The glasses don't actually restore sight, instead they enhance images on a screen in front of you. They're fitted with an adapted 3D camera that processes images through a computer and projects a brighter, more defined version on to your lenses. For example, if you approach some stairs the camera will highlight their outline.'

So what’s the advantage?

As I understand it; although the glasses can’t give you sight they make moving about a whole lot easier and safer. Lamp post, post boxes, pavement edges and of course people, are all visible, or at any rate their outlines are. It makes it much easier to avoid these obstacles and increases the user’s confidence as they no-longer have to feel so nervous or lost in unusual surroundings. It can also reduce the sense of isolation felt by many people who are visually impaired, as the Smart Glasses allow them to interact with their surroundings and embolden them to explore new ground by themselves.

The following video gives further information on the Glasses and gives a good taster of what the visually impaired person can actually see with them.