Re: This Tuesday I will be attending a demo of this amazing eyewear device that provides sight to the legally blind [VIDEO]
NaturalWisdom -- Sunday, 17-Jan-2016 12:55:45
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=37600

I didn't publish my comments or these photos earlier today because I had to fix a technical problem with my computer, which wouldn't start up after I ran a system update which crashed and burned...
-NW

Last night I took advantage of the opportunity to attend a local demonstration of a device called the eSight that enables persons with extremely low vision to distinctly see shapes and colors in their environment and words on a written page. If you are visually impaired or know others who are, this advanced piece of technology is designed with you in mind.

The system is comprised mainly of two components: a specialized headset that integrates a high-def camera and OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen that captures a video feed from the viewer's perspective in real time, and a battery-powered handheld controller that automatically and instantly adjusts each of the pixels of the video.

Color contrast, selective focus, and zoom settings are all managed from the knobs and push buttons located on the eSight controller. The system is designed to be portable, whereby, the controller can be carried in a pouch that can be clipped over a belt or worn over the shoulder. The company representative who gave the demo told me that persons from all walks of life are successfully using the eSight in the classroom, on the job, and in strenuous, recreational activities.

The eSight system ships with a comprehensive user guide and two rechargeable lithium batteries. The run-time for each battery is approximately 4-4.5 hours. Periodically, eSight releases a firmware update that they provide on a flash memory card that is user-installable.

A major deterrent to attaining a wider acceptance of the device is its cost: The eSight retails for $15,000 USD and is not covered by insurance. Finding sponsors who are able and willing to fund part of the cost is essential. As a point of comparison, the price of the eSight system is less than a third of the cost of training a single guide dog.

Guide Dog Foundation
http://www.guidedog.org/content.aspx?id=564

How much does it cost to train a guide dog?
It costs more than $50,000 to complete the training of one guide dog. This includes all expenses from breeding to raising the dog to training it and matching it with a blind person.

Getting the word out is key to increasing market share and customer acceptance. Optometrists, by-and-large, probably aren't aware of the capabilities of this device, and neither are the research centers and non-profit institutes that cater to the visually impaired. Moreover, these doctors and organizations may also be reluctant to recommend a solution that may impact their bottom line.