How one small device is helping individuals “see” again

Orange County, CA - October 25th 2016 - 285 million people worldwide are living with vision impairments varying from moderate blurriness, to complete blindness. Even a slight loss in vision impairs an individual’s ability to do everyday tasks, which can have a myriad of effects on the individuals and those around them. These infirmities, besides lowering one’s quality of life, threaten to take away the independence of those affected.

To help improve the quality of life for those visually impaired Amnon Shashua, Sachs Professor of Computer Science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, created the Israeli start-up, OrCam. The OrCam MyEye device is based on computer algorithms that Shashua developed alongside colleague, Shai Shalev-Shwartz and former student, now Dr. Yonatan Wexler, to identify text, objects, and people.

MyEye, a miniature smart camera with artificial vision technology, is worn similarly to Google Glass, clipped onto the top of a pair of glasses. A cable then connects the device to a portable computer, small enough to fit in your pocket, yet capable of converting visual material into spoken word.

How one small device is helping individuals “see” again

By simply pointing to any printed text, on any surface, the OrCam reads the information, relaying it to the user through a built-in mini bone-conduction speaker, or with a standard set of headphones depending on preference. The device is also able to recognize faces of individuals, places, and products, relaying the information in the same fashion.

In a product study, a 10-item test was given simulating daily activity to 12 people who had visual acuity of less than 20/200. Participants’ average score without wearing the device was 2.5 out of 10, but when equipped with the device for the first time, the average score jumped up to 9.5.

The device comes with a pre-stored set of knowledge and allows the user to continuously add to its library. To use the device, you simply point at what you want the MyEye to identify and once it has been read, swiping your hand across the content will archive the data. Currently, users of this device must still have some vision, however slight, as the device doesn’t improve vision, but gives independence through assistive technology.

Dr. Wexler, vice president of research and development at OrCam, has said, “People who have low vision will continue to have low vision, but we want to harness computer science to help them.”

OrCam’s advancement in the field of artificial intelligence has already spilled over to help fight illiteracy. Gefen, a Jerusalem teenager suffers from dyslexia. While her vision is fine, she can’t make sense of letter groupings, making school and independence difficult. She was able to travel to OrCam’s facility to try out the MyEye, to her amazement she was able to read a newspaper. The MyEye is opening her up to a whole new world of knowledge. Hopefully OrCam will continue opening doors for people worldwide.

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Ampronix is a renowned authorized master distributor of the medical industry's top brands as well as a world-class manufacturer of innovative technology. Since 1982, Ampronix has been dedicated to meeting the growing needs of the medical community with its extensive product knowledge, outstanding service, and state-of-the-art repair facility. Ampronix prides itself on its ability to offer tailored, one-stop solutions at a faster and more cost-effective rate than other manufacturers. Ampronix is an ISO & ANSI/ESD certified facility. To learn more go here.

How one small device is helping individuals “see” again Orange County, CA – October 25th 2016 – 285 million people worldwide are living with vision impairments varying from moderate blurriness, to complete blindness. Even a slight loss in vision impairs an individual’s ability to do everyday tasks, which can have a myriad of effects on the […]