Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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How useful would smart glasses that stream video be? (self.Blind)
submitted by blazeingworld
I am working to create a pair of Smart Glasses for the visually impaired. The glasses would let you use the glasses to video call with a friend or family member so that they can help you with tasks like getting you to your destination, shopping, cooking, etc.
I have talked to a couple of visually impaired people so far and they mentioned that they use their phone for this task (Aria, Be My Eyes) but face problems like being able to point their phone properly or that they have one less hand which is tough because they usually have a cane in the other hand. The Glasses would also have speakers to let people hear their surroundings.
Based on my experience talking to people I don't think the glasses are for everyone I think they're specifically beneficial to people who are more independent and go out often.
But it would be great to get some more input so specifically, if the glasses cost about 500$USD would you consider buying them?
I have talked to a couple of visually impaired people so far and they mentioned that they use their phone for this task (Aria, Be My Eyes) but face problems like being able to point their phone properly or that they have one less hand which is tough because they usually have a cane in the other hand. The Glasses would also have speakers to let people hear their surroundings.
Based on my experience talking to people I don't think the glasses are for everyone I think they're specifically beneficial to people who are more independent and go out often.
But it would be great to get some more input so specifically, if the glasses cost about 500$USD would you consider buying them?
GoBlindOrGoHome 4 points 2y ago
There are apps that already do this, we just wear our phone on a lanyard if the camera needs to face out.
blazeingworld [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Ya, that's true apps like Be My Eyes and Aria do the same thing but a problem I heard from people what that it was hard to aim the camera on your phone to point to things like street signs. Do you notice that as a problem?
GoBlindOrGoHome 1 points 2y ago
If you’re completely blind it would be about the same difficulty to try and orient the head to the right direction and height as it would to reposition or lift your phone.
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Not to mention people with progressive vision loss kind of see it as a relief to not wear glasses anymore. There are glasses that warn about approaching obstacles with a beep and vibration, but most people just use the same skills and devices they always have.
Unless your invention includes some sort of wide angle lens and software for the remote helpers to pan around the field of view I can’t imagine it would be much more helpful than existing alternatives.
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Not to mention people with progressive vision loss kind of see it as a relief to not wear glasses anymore. There are glasses that warn about approaching obstacles with a beep and vibration, but most people just use the same skills and devices they always have.
Unless your invention includes some sort of wide angle lens and software for the remote helpers to pan around the field of view I can’t imagine it would be much more helpful than existing alternatives.
blazeingworld [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Hmm, I talked to a couple blind people who said it would be easier to have the camera on their head rather than hold their phone out from their chest. Wearing it on your lanyard seems like a good solution although I imagined that it would swing around as you walk, does that happen?
Also yes I was planning to have a wide-angle lens but your right I should test to see how much a guide would be able to see and read from such a lens.
Also yes I was planning to have a wide-angle lens but your right I should test to see how much a guide would be able to see and read from such a lens.
Crafty_Dragon_roll 3 points 2y ago
No, I already use my phone for that. Also having to add another set of glasses to go do something. Would they be something to wear on top of my sunglasses or would I not be able to wear them, which are needed? For me, it sounds like a waste of money.
Are you the person who asked this same thing a couple weeks ago?
Are you the person who asked this same thing a couple weeks ago?
blazeingworld [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Yes so people definitely do use their phone for this currently but I heard that it was hard to properly point your phone and that it was annoying since they had to hold a phone in one hand and a cane in another. Do you face the same problem?
Also, I was planning for them to be a whole new pair of glasses but they could be sunglasses unless you wear custom sunglasses.
Lol no I haven't posted on here before but that's cool that someone else thought of the same idea.
Also, I was planning for them to be a whole new pair of glasses but they could be sunglasses unless you wear custom sunglasses.
Lol no I haven't posted on here before but that's cool that someone else thought of the same idea.
casserole_cat 2 points 2y ago
Idk if this person posted here but I have seen post like this but I think Google or some other company already invented this
blazeingworld [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Ya I think you could've done it with google glass though those are discontinued now. A company called Aria also created these exact glasses but they also stopped making them recently.
MacaroniGlutenFree 2 points 2y ago
You will face the Apple competition in a year or two.
Plus, as another user mentionned, some people currently use their phones to do this with their family (facetime/skype) or a stranger (Be My Eyes).
Plus, as another user mentionned, some people currently use their phones to do this with their family (facetime/skype) or a stranger (Be My Eyes).
blazeingworld [OP] 2 points 2y ago
That's true a lot of big companies like Facebook, Apple has said that they're coming out with glasses in 1 to 2 years but currently neither of those glasses have cameras. Apple's said they're using Lidar.
jmarseneault 1 points 2y ago
I wonder what qualifications I'd need to be the stranger leading the blind people around. I'm assuming it'd be a subscription service, and if a person liked me well enough I could be their regular guy. Maybe if I built up a rapport with them, I could occasionally play some light-hearted jokes on them and it'd be cool, because they wouldn't be in danger or anything, they'd just get the wrong kind of m & m's. Once in a while I'd convince them a sweater was really nice looking that was atrocious. We'd be friends, but not too serious. And talk about much more than where they need to go. I'd like a new friend.
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