Image via Assisted Vision
The University of Oxford has developed cutting-edge glasses designed to help the visually impaired regain their vision. Looking like your average pair of specs, Assisted Vision glasses contain an OLED display and cameras to help the wearer become aware of direct and peripheral spatial information. By wearing these glasses, users can detect objects more readily, ride public transportation, see signs, and more.
The glasses are effective, since 75% of the blind population has sufficient vision to sense light or vaguely see a hand waving. Data is collected through the gyroscope, the two cameras on the glasses, a compass, and a GPS system. Direction, movement, and the proximity of the person to obstacles in the way of the user are detected through the sensors on the glasses.
Video via BBC News
The sensors on the glasses note that data and send it to a processor that shrinks the images. Next, the processor sends the data to the display screen inside of the glasses. The objects in front of the person are then transmitted into the glasses, appearing as lights that can be seen inside of the glasses.
The technology that OLED provides is effective because it shows a variety of colors and light concentrations to communicate to the user about the objects. It distinguishes if objects are moving or still. The glasses allow its user to identify people when the camera compares the image of one person to the image of the next.
The GPS module built into the glasses speaks directions through the headphones. Users will be able to successfully navigate on their own with the GPS.
The developers at Oxford University stated that the glasses work well for people with eye-related like cataracts. The prototype is still being developed, and is predicted to hit the market by 2014.
Story via Assisted Vision, Mashable, BBC
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