A Polish not for profit organization is aiming to assist the blind and those that are visually impaired, to provide plans to not only make, but also give away the world’s first smart glasses.
The group Parsee has already developed a working prototype of battery operated glasses, which have included a 3D printed frame, Internet protocol as well as the camera and earphone.
Just by simply pushing a button attached to the frame, the visually impaired users are able to take pictures of random objects that are in front of them; the camera then sends the image to a mobile application. From there, the mobile application proceeds onto identifying the shapes, as well as colors and even text. It also has the capability of rendering faces and revealing detailed information about the taken image, by voice to the glasses earpiece.
“It helps (the blind and visually impaired) in their everyday living like reading newspapers, drinking juice,” stated the Parsee project manager, Bartosz Trzcinksi.
To gain an idea as to how these glasses work, here is a short YouTube video:
Here is another amazing video that provides a better insight as to the “Parsee Models” from YouTube:
Parsee, which originally started as a small family project in order to assist a relative, has started a fundraising event to raise capital for the project. Their goal is $25,000, to complete their research and development for a much sleeker model of the prototype glasses.
While this project is currently in the early stages of development, there are much longer term goals of mass production: to provide a free distribution onto all of those who are visually impaired.
Currently these glasses are costing $300 for a single pair; this figure is hoped to be reduced once the group has reached their funding goals so the demand can go into production.
There are similar technology projects that are in the works internationally. One such example is the Britain’s Royal National institute of Blind People (RNIB). These researchers have been working on their smart glasses with the future hope to retail them for less than 300-Pounds, which is roughly $433 USD. These glasses aid the wearers in identifying specific shapes, and even to determine distances.
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