SMART specs presents hi-tech glasses that are designed to prevent “legally blind” individuals with a small degree of residual vision from bumping into objects. The glasses use small stereo cameras in the frames that project simplified images onto the lenses which become brighter the closer you become to the object. This can help alert individuals when they are about to run into a couch or table for instance.
Starting January of next year, the glasses will be tested in a series of trials comprised of 160 people in London and Oxford. The individuals who will be tested have severely impaired vision. Dr. Stephen Hicks, a developer from Oxford University, said he hoped a finished model will be ready for commercial sale in around two years. The glasses should cost around $927, which is slightly more expensive than a smart phone. However, a guide dog can cost upwards of $60,000 to train and use. Some argue that this technology may even replace guide dogs eventually. Not only is it less expensive, the upkeep and maintenance is considerably lower.
Dr. Hicks reminds people that the spectacles are designed as a navigational tool, not to restore lost vision. SMART specs aspires to increase and strengthen the independence of the blind and visually impaired. This pioneering technology helps people navigate and manage their functions more efficiently. The technology built into the glasses could provide users with additional functions such as reading printed words out loud via an earpiece, or scanning barcodes to display the prices of shop items.
The research for this device was funded through the National Institute for Health Research Invention for Innovation (i4i) program.