title: Low vision system for rapid near- and far-field magnification switching.
abstract: People suffering from low vision, a condition caused by a variety of eye-related diseases and/or disorders, find their ability to read greatly improved when text is magnified between 2 and 6 times. Assistive devices currently on the market are either geared towards reading text far away (~20 ft.) or very near (~2 ft.). This is a problem especially for students suffering from low vision, as they struggle to flip their focus between the chalkboard (far-field) and their notes (near- field). A solution to this problem is of high interest to eye care facilities in the developing world - no devices currently exist that have the aforementioned capabilities at an accessible price point. Through consultation with specialists at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in India, the authors propose, design and demonstrate a device that fills this need, directed primarily at the Indian market. The device utilizes available hardware technologies to electronically capture video ahead of the user and zoom and display the image in real-time on LCD screens mounted in front of the user's eyes. This design is integrated as a wearable system in a glasses form-factor.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ambrogi
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dias-Carlson
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gantner
authors.forename: Anisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gururaj
authors.forename: Nevan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hanumara
authors.forename: Jaya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Narain
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zielske
authors.forename: PremNandhini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Satgunam
authors.forename: Deepak Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Bagga
authors.forename: Vijaya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gothwal
mesh_terms: D005139:Eyeglasses; D006801:Humans; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D012682:Sensory Aids; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000503:physiopathology*