Category Archives: Visual Impairments

New Technology for Visual Impairments

Xbox One and Kinect 2 Possibilities

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Over the past year I’ve featured a few stories about how researchers, developers, and designers are utilizing the abilities of Kinect to help people with disabilities. Some have used the motion capture technology to allow people to control devices and play games with mere eye movement and facial expressions. Others have concepts of interpreting sign language. This week Microsoft announced and showed off the next generation Xbox One and a second generation Kinect. The improved power and innovation of these devices opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

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EyeNote App Identifies Paper Money

The new technology I’m featuring today isn’t exactly new because it’s a couple years old which is old in tech years. But the technology is fascinatingly good and very useful. The technology I’m talking about is the EyeNote app for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. This app is able to identify paper money and audibly say what the denomination is. Developed by the  Bureau of Engraving and Printing, this app can be extremely useful and even vital to people who are blind or visually impaired.

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ADA Illustraded App | 3D Illustrated Version of the ADA Building Standards

iOS Simulator Screen shot Mar 5, 2013 1.54.45 PM

So this article is a total self promotion, but it is for something I’ve been working hard on for months 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design became enforceable. As a person that draws and reads construction plans, I could understand the code pretty well. Not that reading the ADA Standards is hard to understand, but they can be hard to visualize. Which had me thinking, why not make an illustrated version of the standards and turn it into an app. That was the beginning of the ADA Illustrated app, a 3D illustrated version of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design with over 380 images.

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Oxy-Iso | Colorblindness Reducing Glasses

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In the movie Little Miss Sunshine, there’s a point in the movie where the son who wants to be a pilot realizes he can’t be because he is colorblind. Which is a reminder that while not a “major” disability, colorblindness can still affect lives. My best friend for example is colorblind and has to remember while driving that the top light is red and the bottom light is green. So there can be safety issues and career limitations associated with colorblindness. For those with red-green colorblindness, a new pair of glasses can help them distinguish the two colors. The Oxy-Iso by O2Amp are colorblindness reducing glasses available now.

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Argus II | FDA Approved Bionic Eye

Some big news that hit the technology newswires recently was the FDA approval of a bionic eye. This bionic eye is designed to help people with severe retinitis pigmentosa (RP) to see light better. Available in Europe since 2011, the Argus II by Second Sight of Switzerland is now available in the U.S. Although the bionic eye does not restore full vision, it can help bring back useful sight for those who need it.

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Pediatric Vision Scanner Detects Early Childhood Vision Problems

Image: REBIScan

Image: REBIScan

In many medical cases we always hear how early detection is vital to successful treatment. This can be especially true in children whose bodies in some cases can adapt to change better than when they’re older. However doctors are caught in a catch 22 with cases of amblyopia (“lazy eye”) and strabismus (misaligned eyes). The two conditions can be successfully treated if discovered early. However most symptoms don’t appear until it’s usually too late. The other problem is an overabundance of false referrals because precautious doctors. But this causes unnecessary medical bills. After years of development and clinical trials, accurate early detection is now available. Dr. David Hunter and his company REBIScan have created the Pediatric Vision Scanner (PVS). A portable device that can quickly diagnose early childhood vision problems.

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BrailleTouch Smartphone & Tablet App

I’ve actually known about this bit of technology for quite a few months now but I wanted to wait until it was released before doing an article on it. After waiting this long I’m not sure if it will ever be coming out so I decided to go ahead with an article. The technology I’m talking about is BrailleTouch. A Braille typing app for smartphones and tablets developed by Georgia Tech.

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Bionic Telescope Eye Implant for Macular Degeneration

The Implantable Miniature Telescope

Image: {a href=”http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/6949″ target=”_blank}UC Davis{/a}

Everyone knows that as we age our vision weakens and can lead to blindness in some cases. The leading cause of vision loss for people over 60 is age related macular degeneration (AMD). For people to suddenly not be able to see after a long life can be a huge lifestyle change that can lead to depression and diminished quality of life. Therapy, support groups, and training can help people adjust, but reality is either they don’t seek these services or the services aren’t available nearby. To help combat the effects of AMD, VisionCare of Saratoga, California has created an implantable telescope called The Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT).

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