This Device Re-Imagines High-Tech Vision Solutions for the Blind and Partially Sighted

The OrCam MyEye 2.0 is a unique wearable technology made for blind or partially sighted people to more fully engage with their environment.

 

A post shared by Orcam (@orcam_technologies) on Dec 20, 2017 at 7:22am PST

Corrective lenses have aided near and far-sighted individuals to see more fully for a thousand years, but there are some issues that can't be solved by corrective lenses alone. For those who suffer from more extreme forms of blindness, MyEye 2.0 provides a solution that gives a significantly improved level of independence.

The OrCam MyEye 2.0 is an extremely lightweight extension with a high-powered camera that picks up information in front of the user and relays it back to them using an HD mini-speaker. The artificial vision device attaches to the frame of your glasses and is so light (less than 1 ounce) that it isn't obtrusive or disruptive. 

What can the MyEye 2.0 do?

The high-tech wearable has a broad range of useful functions for blind or partially sighted people. Its primary feature is its fluid text-to-speech function that allows users to easily read text that they would normally find tedious or eye-straining.

The text reading function allows the user to use simple hand gestures to tell the camera when to stop, slow down, or start over. This lets the wearer seamlessly and effortlessly control their reading experience. It can read text from any surface, from a book to a billboard. All the wearer has to do is look and point.

The second function of the extension is facial recognition. Because we recognize people first and foremost by their faces, blind and partially-sighted people can have a difficult time noticing when someone they know approaches unless they are identified by name. This wearable allows them to seamlessly and immediately begin their interaction without any delay.

Facial recognition is an evolving technology that started less than a decade ago and has proven to be an extremely difficult challenge. Faces change over time, facial expressions can be hard to read, and lighting and angles can very dramatically change the way a face looks. So OrCam's ability to do real-time facial recognition demonstrates very powerful programming that will also definitely be able to recognize and identify other objects.

[see-also]

For instance, the OrCam is especially efficient at identifying bank notes by their value. Notes in some countries have slightly different textures or pips so that blind or partially-sighted people can use them; the OrCam's immediate recognition of the bank notes' values, however, speeds this process up and makes it significantly more convenient. This isn't just a time saver: for many people with difficulty seeing, this technology could provide a significantly improved ability to get around alone and vastly improve the quality of their life.

And this is the future of wearable technology -- super high-tech solutions to make life faster and simpler because in the future nobody will have time to squint and lean in to read text on their computer screen.