Blind people regain their sight with the help of smart glasses from Google


The most modern technologies are increasingly no longer just cool gadgets that we can play with for a moment and throw into the corner. Many of them are already changing the lives of people with disabilities for the better.

It is extremely enjoyable, because technology is created to give us an advantage, and if it is not, it means that it is completely useless. The latest example of how great benefits come from augmented reality systems is the invention of Envision.

“Blind people began to see.” These words can best describe a device from Google and the company Envision, which jointly used the power of the latest technology to make everyday life easier for millions of people. Although Google Glass glasses did not make a sensation in the world, their potential was used in a slightly different, but very practical way.

A modified version of Google Glass, using augmented reality technology and artificial intelligence, accurately interprets the environment, and then graphically describes it to the blind and visually impaired. Thanks to the new sense, they can now enjoy life even more, which you can see in the video below.

The technology works very simply. Smart glasses work in a similar way to the OCR system we know from computers and printers. The device recognizes e.g. text in magazines or documents, converts it into a text form, and then transmits information in the form of audio to a blind person, thanks to which people can literally see everything that happens in front of their eyes. Simple and how effective.

Interestingly, Google engineers, in collaboration with scientists, have also developed a special therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders. Thanks to Google Glass, they can better interpret the reality surrounding them, cope with communication with people and try to live normally in society.

The conducted experiment with 12 families and with 14 children showed much better results achieved in identifying emotions by children, compared to ordinary eye contact. This shows that intelligent and interactive reality augmentation systems used in Google Glass can be ideal for a variety of therapies.