Last week, a video of a blind woman seeing her baby for the first time went viral. Beyond being extraordinary news, it also reminds us of the great progress in optical implants and external assistance systems. In this case, the innovation behind it is eSight, a pair of electronic glasses that combine integrated screens, a camera, and a user-controlled calibration mechanism.
With an average of eight hours a day in front of a computer screen, I can say I'm truly privileged when it comes to my eyes (the rest of my body is another story). Unfortunately, many people haven't been as lucky. Depending on the country, the definition of being “legally blind” can vary, but fundamentally it's the same situation. Losing visual capacity to the point where traditional correction methods fail is a huge challenge for modern medicine. However, technology is a great ally. We recently talked about Be My Eyes, a service that lets us lend our eyes to those in need, and there are also apps like TapTapSee that recognize objects. But this time, we have a hardware-based alternative that has exploded across the web.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/e9crPvfcEy4A mother's first look
The eSight electronic glasses system came to fame after Kathy Beitz used it to see her newborn son for the first time. Despite her limitations, Kathy managed to build a family and pursue a career, but the birth of her baby changed everything, and the glasses were up to the task.
How eSight works
The goal of eSight is to drastically optimize the images that reach the eyes, increasing the amount of data and raising reaction levels. The system consists of a headset equipped with two OLED screens and a high-definition camera, a special frame, and the processing unit that contains all the controls. What can the user adjust? Zoom level (up to 14x), contrast, brightness, frame capture, and focus. As if that weren't enough, there's also the option to connect the glasses directly to a television and receive even clearer images.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/-E2dcekXztsThe cost of sight
I imagine you're wondering about the price. Each eSight unit costs $15,000, so its own developers admit the high cost. Still, they maintain a donation campaign to help those who can't afford them, something like a constant crowdfunding. Every time $15,000 in donations is reached, an eSight is automatically delivered. Press coverage has been extensive, but what matters most here are the user testimonials, and they all agree that eSight works. I hope future versions will allow cost reductions and reach more people.
