"Smart glasses" will help the visually impaired
Experts from Oxford University, working under the direction of Dr. Stephen Hicks (Stephen Hicks), has developed a "smart glasses", consisting of the posts on the frame of the camera, processing information received her petite processor and software that form the image of surrounding objects on transparent displays built into glasses.
This device is not intended to replace lost vision. It allows visually impaired people to obtain additional visual information about the surrounding objects. Most high performance smart eyewear show in conditions of dim lighting and can be used for the correction of night blindness.
For image playback, smart glasses is treated with a video of objects in the field of view of the user, obtained with the camera placed on the rim.
In the past year, developers have successfully conducted a preliminary clinical study of an earlier version of smart glasses with the participation of 20 volunteers with a variety of eye diseases and different levels of view. The most outstanding results showed patients with the lowest levels of view.
Currently, researchers analyze the reaction of visually impaired people in smart glasses in indoor areas such as shopping centres and consistently receive from participants in the positive feedback. They also plan to conduct a clinical trial of the latest modification of the device with the participation of 30 volunteers with very poor vision. Participants will have to navigate in a room with obstacles in the smart glasses and without them.
The authors also working to improve the smart glasses by adding a means of recognition of faces, objects, and text. Also the idea of using the headphones with which the user could get voice information about the requested object.
According to Hicks, the ultimate goal is to create product which would look like normal glasses, while its cost should be comparable to the cost of the smartphone.
Eugene Ryabtsev
The portal of "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru on materials of the University of Oxford: Smart glasses developed at Oxford University for the registered blind are being trialled in public spaces for the first time.
24.06.2014