Skip to content

OrCam: Breakthrough Tech for the Blind and Visually Impaired

There is a lot of work and research being done to find ways to improve life for partially sighted and blind people. Reading and recognition devices are just some of the advancements being made –  there are video magnifiers, screen readers, braille printers and more.

A man reading a newspaper with the help of the OrCam device

There is a lot of work and research being done to find ways to improve life for partially sighted and blind people.

Reading and recognition devices are just some of the advancements being made –  there are video magnifiers, screen readers, braille printers and more. But a need for a more compact and portable solution drove us to develop the OrCam MyEye assistive technology device, which fits easily and unobtrusively on any eyeglass frame. OrCam’s breakthrough conversion of visual information into the spoken word enables its users to instantly and discreetly read text and recognize faces, as well as identify products and currency.

Nicholas Dedekind, an OrCam user from Belgium, started losing his vision at age 12 as a result of Stargardt’s Disease. He’d tried software magnifiers for on-screen use, which weren’t very effective – they were heavy and very slow. When his parents found out about the OrCam MyEye, Nicholas thought that it was unrealistic and too good to be true – and that maybe these glasses were just like “regular” glasses for a visual disability. However, after trying the OrCam device, he was ecstatic. “It was an exciting, eye-opening experience. The product exceeded my expectations,” he said.

OrCam doesn’t rely on connectivity to a smartphone or to a cloud and doesn’t require wi-fi or a Bluetooth connection to operate. This means the response time can be almost instantaneous and the user never has to rely on a cell phone signal. Most importantly, it means the system is protected.

Although research is being done, there is currently no cure for vision loss. However, technology like OrCam is a good solution for people who are blind or visually impaired and can help them lead more independent lives.

OrCam’s mission is to harness the power of artificial vision by incorporating pioneering technology into a wearable platform which improves the lives of individuals who are blind, visually impaired, have a reading disability or people with other conditions. To learn more about OrCam and the MyEye device, visit OrCam.com.

Published on:
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Larry sits with an iCanConnect instructor, working on a bluetooth keyboard and laptop computer

From Isolation to Empowerment: the Tech that Connected me to my Community

Headshots of authors Emily Beitiks and Nick Sousanis in a comic strip-style graphic

The Accessible Comics Collective: Taking Comics Beyond Sight

Composer Kemal Gorey and his guide dog stand in front of an exhibit labeled "Symphonies Under the Stars," featuring black-and-white, mid 20th-century photos of people at the Hollywood Bowl.

Translating Stories into Music: life as a visually impaired composer