"Smart glasses" will help the visually impaired
Scientists from the Oxford Institute invented the "smart glasses"that can help visually impaired people to navigate the terrain and among the people. Glasses are 1st test.
The researchers of the Oxford Institute for testing to find how perfectly created them "smart glasses can help visually impaired people not to encounter obstacles. "The idea is clever points contained in the fact that to help people with poor eyesight. Glasses will increase their awareness about what is happening around that will give more confidence, autonomy, liberty, and in the end will improve the condition of life," says a leading Creator of points Stephen Hicks.
Smart glasses consist of a camera mounted in a glass frame, the computer unit information processing and software that allows you to display a large image objects on the eyepieces points. Additionally, the device works perfectly in low light and can assist in the fight against "night blindness".
The creators emphasize that their discovery does not change the vision, in consequence, will not help blind people. "Smart glasses" allow to increase the degree of spatial awareness, giving more complete information about those objects that person sees it. Namely, development allows us to better see the outline of the face of the interlocutor, making communication more natural.
Now glasses constitute an still very cumbersome system. But work to improve the ergonomics of points is already underway. "We want to end up with our product looked like a normal glasses and cost no more than a few hundred pounds - about as much as is average smartphone", - cites the web-site of the Oxford Institute for words the main Creator of the device Steven Hicks.
Glasses already approved by the many visually impaired people who have time to try them. So, 70-year-old Lin Oliver moved to metropolis only with a guide dog. She said that in 20 years she was sentenced retinitis pigmentosa and announced that this disease will one day lead to blindness. A guide dog she really can help, but with smart glasses she began to get even more: if the dog stops, Lin can understand why she did it and even find where the direction of a guide dog will bypass the obstacle. "Data points eliminated the maximum stress from my life" - said the lady.
Further testing will take place in more severe conditions. A group of 30 volunteers with poor eyesight will be placed on a closed polygon with the skills that they will need to work around. The luminance level on the site will be monitored by scientists. Some subjects will be provided with new "smart glasses, and the other pigs to follow their own simple ways of moving in space.
Then test points are planned to be tested in the field: Guinea try to navigate the store. 2 thirds of the test participants, who have tested the new discovery researchers, was pleased with it. They said they saw the world in a new way and addicted to technology rather quickly.
The "smart glasses" team of research workers of the Oxford Institute has great chances to become a serious support for the visually impaired. If the intention of scientific workers comparatively size, cost and performance units will be implemented, it can help adaptation for people with weak eyesight around the world.
|
