We may be far off from the VISOR Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge's of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" had to help him see. However, we are getting there. A headset today seems to bring science fiction to life in our century.
The device from medical technology firm eSight looks a lot like virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) headsets we use today for our VR games or VR entertainment, though it can take photos and stream videos and games through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI.
The eSight headset is designed to help legally blind people to actually see, that is estimated at 85-86 percent of the visually impaired. However, eSight cannot be of any help to the totally blind that comprises remaining 15-14 percent.
According to eSight, the wearable device is for people with low visual acuity or the legally blind and does not require any surgery to be used. Accordingly, it is FDA and EUDAMED registered, as well as inspected by Health Canada.
The newest version of the eSight Eyewear is the eSight 3. It has a sleek form factor, lighter and smaller. It boasts of key performance improvements in image quality, the field of view and zoom.
It operates the same as its previous iterations by having it powerful computer process HD videos taken by its high-resolution camera and displays the image on two OLED screens using innovative optics. The company's proprietary algorithms enhance the video feed.
There were many technical challenges that eSight had to consider in designing the device to replicate human vision. According to The Verge, ensuring the viewer is seeing the world in the closest real time as possible, it had to overcome latency and maximize peripheral vision so that users of the eSight does not get nauseous or lose balance.
The technology is designed to automatically focus from long distance viewing to near, as well as offering the user to manually zoom in on what they want to see. Reports say that the company took advantage of recent improvements in VR headsets and similar devices to improve the latest version of the eSight.
However, the device does come with a steep price; one unit of the eSight 3 costs $10,000. The company does stick with its mission to help those in need of their product, regardless of their ability to pay. They assist would be users to identify public and private sector sources of funding if the client cannot afford to pay.
Although the eSight 3 is a slimmed down and better version from previous designs, the company believes there is room for improvement. Immediate iterations is to maybe waterproof the eSight.
The company is also looking forward to slimming down eSight further to something not so different from a pair of glasses, or maybe even a pair of contact lenses within the next five to 10 years, according to c|net.
