SchepensEyeResearchInstitute
Latest
Pocket camera helps the visually impaired navigate the world
This might be one of the least invasive sight aids for the visually impaired that we've spotted: it's a camera that sits in the shirt pocket, Her-style, and uses auditory alerts to warn when the user approaches obstacles. The idea here is to help folks with loss of peripheral vision (from glaucoma, for example) to keep from bumping into things. The device uses time-to-collision predictions rather than proximity sensors, so rather than a constant beep just because you're standing next to a pillar, the gizmo will apparently only ping you when you might actually run into said pillar.
Researchers clear up TV watching for visually impaired
Yeah, we've got HMDs for the visually impaired, but seriously, who's for sporting one of those things just to catch an afternoon soap? Thankfully, Dr. Eli Peli (and colleagues) from Harvard Medical School is lookin' out for said sect, and has developed a method for "enhancing the contrast of images of people and objects of interest on their digital televisions," which, during trials, was found to enhance legibility and overall enjoyment when watching. Furthermore, the technology is said to be the first to play nice with digital TV images, which seems fairly important considering that analog signals have but a few months to live here in America. Purportedly, the all-important modification that made the adjustments possible could be applied to HDTVs and digital STBs in the future, and sure enough, Peli has already sparked up conversation with Analog Devices in order to create a prototype chip for use in forthcoming sets. Now, if only clearing up those Get Smart reruns were this simple...[Via InventorSpot, image courtesy of Harvard (PDF)]
Augmented vision device may aid tunnel vision sufferers
As people age and develop ocular diseases such as glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa, an unfortunate side effect is the gradual inability to locate and recognize objects not directly in front of them -- a condition more commonly known as tunnel vision. Previous gadgets designed to combat this problem, such as so-called reverse binocular glasses, have indeed been successful in providing patients with additional visual data; however, their miniaturizing effect took much of the detail away from peripheral objects, making them uncomfortable and ultimately ineffective for everyday use. Fortunately for tunnel vision sufferers, a new, higher-tech option may soon be available to aid them in their plight, in the form of an innovative device designed by a team at Harvard Medical School affiliate Schepens Eye Research Institute. Developed in conjunction with MyVu HMD manufacturer MicroOptical Corp., the augmented vision device consists of a video camera and transparent display attached to a pair of glasses and tethered by wire to a small computer. The computer processes the incoming visual data from the camera and projects a real-time outline of the wearer's surroundings right onto the center of the glasses, effectively "filling in the blanks" for the peripheral objects that would not normally be viewable. In tests conducted by the team, affected patients with only an hour of training were able to significantly increase the directness of their searches, while at the same time reducing the amount of time necessary to locate an object by about 22%. Further long term studies are necessary to determine how effective the device would be with more training and regular usage, but with such promising initial results, tunnel vision sufferers may finally be able to step out of the shadows and literally see the light.[Via Medgadget]
