Technology Bridges the Gap to Better Sight – The New York Times

Along the way, Dr. Werblin brought in a tech-savvy mobile app developer, Ammad Khan, as a partner. Imagining a concept that would transform somebodys life was very compelling for me, Mr. Khan said.

With $1.5 million from Mr. Dougan, a $1.5 million grant from the National Eye Institute, and about $4 million from angel investors and venture capitalists, the co-founders got to work. They collaborated with experts from Stanford and Johns Hopkins universities, and partnered with Samsung, which provided the smartphone, the augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies, and the mobile artificial intelligence platform. By 2017, the device was ready.

IrisVision helps restore visual function to people with such conditions as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosis, Stargardt disease, glaucoma and optic atrophy but not cataracts. It can help someone with visual acuity as low as 20/1000. (Acuity measures sharpness: A 20/200 acuity, for example, means a person can make out an object at a distance of 20 feet that a normal vision person could see from 200 feet.)

So how does it work?

IrisVision helps the brain use parts of the eyes that still function properly. The smartphones camera captures an image, and then the virtual reality, or V.R., headset and algorithms enhance the image by providing enough information to fill in the gaps and remap the scene to provide a complete picture.

The company recently added voice control, video streaming, Alexa and other interactive features that give those with low vision easy access to news, weather updates, YouTube videos and TV shows viewed within the headset. The person can adjust the headset, by voice command or button, to zoom in or adjust the color, contrast or brightness.

Still, the device has its shortcomings: It is large and clunky, and the user needs to be stationary not walking around to use it. In addition, at $2,950, it is expensive. And unless you are a veteran, health insurers do not cover the cost.

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Technology Bridges the Gap to Better Sight - The New York Times