Technology is advancing faster than we can see.
If you thought you were impressed with Google Glass, think again. There is now a new pair of glasses that allows people who are legally blind to see: eSight. eSight goggles are special glasses with advanced technology used to help legally blind people. It combines display technology, a camera, and advanced computing to deliver a real-time video, essentially giving the near-blind their sight back.
eSight goggles cost $15,000, which, some argue, is a small price to pay for those who want to see what they never could before. There is a customized prescription for the lenses of the glasses, and it also comes with a headset and small video camera that sends a live video stream to the controller. The signal from the controller goes back to the LED lens of the glasses and is displayed like a video. With the controller, users of eSight are able to manipulate and control the images they see according to their needs: they can zoom, enhance, and adjust everything they’re seeing. These unique features not only enable people with low vision to see, but they also allow eSight users to see many things in clarity that normal-sighted people can’t. As the eSight states, “eSight doesn’t just enhance sight, it gives people the freedom to use their sight in any way they choose.”
Kathy Beitz is a woman whose sight has been deteriorating ever since she was only 11 years old. Her condition, called Stargardt’s Disease, has caused the majority of her vision to be blocked by a blind spot. But now, with eSight, her blindspot is gone. Her one wish was to see her newborn baby, and eSight was able to realize this dream. This touching story of Kathy and her newborn baby is all because of this new technology, and you can witness it with the footage below.
These new eSight glasses are a big milestone in technology: they can help hundreds of people everyday see things they never could before.