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This amazing tech startup gadget helps assist those with vision impairments.
With the invention and arrival of Google Glass in these last couple of years, it has been amazing to take a step back from what we know about glasses and prescription lenses and begin looking forward to what these helpful devices may hold in store for us in the future. Perhaps one day, all optical devices will include state-of-the-art software that helps us navigate our day easier, more efficiently and lessens the burden we put on our vision. However, until that day comes, we can only dream about what technology has in store for the optical field in the future. Or can we?
Using digital glasses as a replacement or helper for eyesight may be a technological possibility sooner than we think! A new Israeli start-up company, OrCam, has recently created a device that is getting a lot of buzz in the optical world as a unique and amazing way for visually impaired people to “read” the world around them.
While many other devices and apps have come out in the past which claim to help visually impaired people “see” better or translate any text that they encounter, most of them have had very limiting capabilities and didn’t quite work in the ways that they were promised. This is because, until now, most vision assistance devices and apps were only able to recognize text in restricted environments or through specific software applications.
However, one of the biggest advantages of the OrCam device is the fact that you can cut out all of this complicated middle ground and go right to reading the different objects that are in front of you! No need to worry about having the proper app installed or being in the right type of environment.
With OrCam, a small camera is attached to the arm of the glasses frames with a thin cable. This cable supports a portable computer than has been designed to be small enough to fit right into the wearer’s pocket. By clipping this system onto your glasses, you are then able to point out different words or objects in your surroundings and the bone-conduction speaker on the device will read it aloud for you
Another great feature of these smart glasses is that they are also designed to recognize and speak “text in the wild.” This means anything from a magazine or newspaper that you pick up, to a diverse object in your area such as landmarks, traffic lights and the faces of your friends.
What is even more surprising about this revolutionary device is just how reasonable the price tag is. For only $2,500, you could get your hands on this device that would give you “sight” for the rest of your life. (This is about the same cost of a midrange hearing age for older adults.) Would you mind spending this kind of money on an optical accessory if it meant regaining some of your “sight” in one way or another? Be sure to leave your thoughts with us in the comments below!
