Smart glasses offer spatial awareness to the visually impaired

The smart glasses are said to consist of a video camera mounted on the frame of the glasses; a computer processing unit that is small enough to fit in a pocket; and software that provides images of objects close-by to the see-through displays in the eyepieces of the glasses.

The transparent electronic displays, where the glasses’ lenses would normally be, give a simple image of nearby people and obstacles. The camera, with specially designed software, interprets the nearby surroundings, which allows people to see important things much more distinctly than before, such as kerbs, tables and chairs, or groups of people.

According to the university, the glasses don’t replace lost vision but assist with spatial awareness. Anyone using the glasses looks through them to make the most of their existing sight, with additional images appearing in their line of sight to give extra information about who or what is in front of them.