Glasses for the blind? A team of students at the TU Delft has proven once again that the Dutch are kings and queens of spearheading innovative technology.
This time around, we’re not talking water management strategies or nifty agricultural techniques.
Instead, we’re paying tribute to a pair of futuristic glasses that help the blind to see. And the best part? They’re 100% Stevie Wonder approved.
How do they work?
The glasses work by translating images taken by an in-built camera into words, explains RTL Nieuws.
Say, the wearer of the glasses turns their head to look at any given object such as a euro bill. While the blind individual might be able to realise they are holding paper money, there is no way of telling whether it’s a €100, €10 or €5 bill.
Envision Glasses to the rescue! Aimed at the unknown object, the camera snaps a picture of the euro bill, processes the image and a voice will then let the blind wearer know what is in front of them — for example, a €10 bill.
There are also other features. For example, the wearer can tell the glasses what they’re looking for and the gadget will then recognise whether or not the desired object is close by.
How did Stevie Wonder find out about them?
American singer and soul-legend Stevie Wonder came across the glasses during a fair for technologies relating to disabilities of all kinds in Los Angeles.
NPO Radio 2 explains that Stevie Wonder has been frequenting the fair for years. The musician that has been blind from birth was immediately struck by the wondrous invention.
The team of Envision Glasses did not hesitate and send him home with a pair to practice. How lovely! 😍
At the moment, one pair of Envision Glasses still costs about €3,200. Hopefully, in the future, this marvellous piece of Dutch innovative technology will be supported by health insurance and made available for all!!
What do you think of these glasses for the blind? Tell us in the comments.
Feature Image: Wikimedia Commons/Stevie Wonder/CC2.0.
This is an incredible accommodation for the blind. Hopefully, in the near future, lens can send objects through brainwaves or sorts to actually allow the blind to see. Thank you, science.
Like image projection in biofeedback
It’s great that Stevie Wonder can try these glasses out for the inventors and I can understand why they would be keen to give him a pair for nothing. I can’t help feeling that there are many more blind people (who can’t afford to buy them) that could benefit from this kind of generousity though.
I guess they wouldn’t be as good an advertisement as Stevie is.