How medical AR glasses are improving life for the blind

Just as other forms of wearable technology have been turned into capable medical devices, augmented reality headsets are now more than entertainment or professional tools. A headset from a company called eSight enables people who are legally blind to see enough to function in their everyday lives. People who use the eSight device have very limited vision, which is how the headset is able to work. It puts OLED screens right in front of a user's eyes, increases contrast and has the ability to zoom in.

A story in the Wall Street Journal documents the travails of one individual, Yvonne Felix, with Stargardt disease. Through the use of the eSight headset, Felix was able to "get a desk job and travel on her own." She's now a spokeswoman for eSight as well.

Much of the news about augmented reality has focused on how it could be used as tools in certain professions, helping make some jobs safer or more efficient by displaying certain information in front of a user as needed. Medical companies have been working on augmented reality for years, though, and the technology is already having an impact in the lives of the blind. In addition to eSight, NuEyes and Orcam have their own headsets and glasses for the visually impaired.

While different headsets come in various shapes and sizes, the eSight 3 is quite a capable device. It weighs less than 0.25 pounds and the battery lasts about 6.5 hours. It also comes with a controller, which is how users are able to zoom in on something they need a closer look at.

Although the technology and benefits are real, the eSight and similar devices are hardly mainstream. The eSight 3 is a very specialized medical device that costs $10,000. It's not covered by most insurance in the US, according to the WSJ, so eSight has only sold about 1,000 of its headsets so far. A lot of other augmented reality technology is still expensive as well, even outside the medical community. With the technology as mature as it is, though, new entrants into the market and continued development will help bring costs down.