OrCam MyEye, reading glasses for the blind

A camera attached to the lenses allows people with sight problems to read in real time or recognize familiar faces

   OrCam MyEye is the solution of the manufacturer of progressive lenses Essilor for people with serious vision problems. This new device, which in the near future, will be in Spanish opticians, allows blind or visually impaired people to read in real time or recognize familiar faces.

In Spain there are almost one million people with some type of visual disability. The goal of the company is "to improve lives" and "to facilitate independence so that it can be managed in everyday situations", explains Essilor.

  Its operation is possible thanks to a camera connected to a loudspeaker that converts visual information into audio in real time. Thanks to a connection on the right side of the eyeglass frame, the technology starts up.

To read, the user must indicate the printed text with his finger, both on paper and on screen, so that OrCam identifies it and transmits it through a voice message through the headset. This device is enabled to recognize previously registered faces and objects, as well as legal tender notes.

Works without an internet connection

In addition to the camera and the headset, OrCam has a control unit that includes a battery and a computer with artificial intelligence and learning capacity. The latter, in turn, is in turn connected to the digital device. The device operates without the need of an internet connection or a computer.

This device has a double modality. OrCam MyEye is the full version of it, since it allows both to facilitate reading and recognize products or faces, while MyReader is only enabled to identify written texts.

With an autonomy of one day and a loading time of four hours, it weighs 31 grams and is capable of storing up to 100 faces and 150 products, as well as allowing to set a reading speed of between 100 and 240 words per minute.