Virtual Reality Gives the Gift of Vision to Legally Blind Veterans

November 11, 2020

Vermont Association for the Blind (VABVI)

1 min read

4012

Photo courtesy of News.ClearanceJobs.com

Today about 130,000 U.S. veterans are legally blind, according to the Blind Rehabilitation Services at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, while more than a million now live with low vision that causes loss of ability and independence to perform even necessary daily activities.

Something that might have seemed only possible in science fiction could now allow many of those veterans to see. This is the IrisVision VR headset, which combines the latest mobile virtual reality system along with customized Samsung Galaxy smartphone to enable low vision patients to see. This can include the ability to see the faces of loved ones, watch television, read a book, work, travel, and cook.

The IrisVision VR headset, which is an FDI Class I medical device, was developed by leading vision scientists in the United States. It has been backed by a grant from top vision institutions, including the National Eye Institute, and validated by eye specialists and researchers from top ophthalmology centers at Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and UPMC Pittsburgh.

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Photo courtesy of CNN

A new smart suitcase is designed to help visually impaired people navigate public spaces

Oct 07, 2020

Vermont Association for the Blind (VABVI)

1 min read

1047

Caption: AI suitcase -- Designed in a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University, IBM and a number of other Japanese companies, this smart suitcase is designed to help visually impaired people navigate…