Bionic Glasses Help The Partially Sighted To See

Published on Friday, 22 July 2011 11:28

By Victoria Beckett

Scientists at Oxford University are developing a pair of high-tech glasses that can help those who are partially sighted to see again.

The high-tech glasses, which have been dubbed ‘smart glasses’ use small cameras to detect objects, and are expected to change the lives of many partially sighted people.

In the UK alone there are over 300,000 people who are registered blind. The majority of those registered are partially sighted, and therefore will be able to use the glasses.

The glasses are expected to be available to the public as early as 2014, and would enable the partially sighted to navigate busy public places such as train stations and shopping centres with relative ease.

People suffering from age-related illnesses such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, are thought to be the biggest beneficiaries of this development.

With funding courtesy of The Department of Health, clinical neuroscientist Dr Stephen Hicks, has completed research into the development of the glasses.

The research was presented to the world last week at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, in London. A prototype is now being created, and Dr Hicks plans to test this during a two-year trial consisting of 120 people.

So let's look at how the glasses actually work. Tiny cameras attached to the glasses record information that the eye would normally register. This information is then transmitted down a cable connecting the glasses to a pocket-sized computer. The computer processes this information and converts it into an LED pattern that lights up in the glasses.

The person wearing the glasses is able to tell what is in front of them dependent on the lights. Flicking lights signify people ahead who are moving, whereas a solid light signifies a stationary object. The technology used for the glasses is similar to that found in motion-capture used by the Xbox Kinect.

Before the glasses are made available to the general public, there is likely to be the addition of an earpiece in order to allow more complex information to be received. This information would be converted into a voice recording, enabling users to be able to ‘read’ computerized displays such as those on buses and parking meters and eventually even printed writing in books and newspapers.

There is even talks of replacing the mini-computer with apps for smart phones, making the glasses more affordable and accessible.

Unlike similar past prototypes, these glasses will be streamlined and discrete. This was a key priority for Dr Hicks, who expressed his desire for the glasses’ design to make the partially sighted feel confident and independent.

When they reach the market, the glasses are expected to sell for around £500-£1,000; a substantially cheaper alternative to a guide dog. Training just one dog costs a large sum of £25,000- £30,000, so if the trials are successful the ‘smart glasses’ would be revolutionary in giving sight to those who are partially-sighted at a minimal price.