A revolutionary new pair of glasses could potentially provide a solution for individuals with macular degeneration. Modeled after the structure of a fly’s eyes, these glasses aim to compensate for the missing portion in the wearer’s field of vision.
Macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, specifically affects the central area of the retina known as the macula. This condition impairs vision in individuals.
There are two main types of macular degeneration – one caused by damage to light-sensitive cells in the macula due to cellular debris accumulation, and the other by abnormal blood vessel growth behind the retina that leads to blood leakage into the macula.
Irrespective of the cause, individuals suffering from macular degeneration are left with either a blurred or completely blind central spot in their vision. The SolidddVision Smartglasses, developed by Soliddd Corp, a New York-based startup, aim to address this visual impairment.
Soliddd Corp
The SolidddVision Smartglasses feature two forward-facing cameras – one on the far left and the other on the far right. These cameras capture a stereoscopic view of the wearer’s surroundings. Additionally, the glasses have two inward-facing cameras to track the user’s gaze, along with two inward-facing displays in front of each eye. Each display comprises an array of tiny lenses similar to an insect’s compound eyes.
Soliddd Corp
Each lens in the microlens array projects a miniature version of the forward-facing camera’s image onto the healthy peripheral area of the retina, providing a slightly different perspective. Through stereopsis, the brain processes these slightly different visuals to construct a single, full-field 3D, focused image, eliminating the blind spot in the middle.
According to the white paper from Soliddd Corp scientists, the brain combines redundant visual information automatically, patching missing data from other viewpoints to create a complete image. Pre-clinical tests conducted on 30 individuals with macular degeneration showed a reading speed increase of at least 50% when using the glasses. These tests were carried out by the non-profit vision services group, Lighthouse Guild.
A beta version of the SolidddVision Smartglasses will be showcased at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, with plans for a production model later in the year. The pricing details will be announced subsequently.
It is worth noting that Cellico, a South Korean startup funded by Samsung, also offers camera-equipped assistive glasses that capture an image of the user’s blind spot and display it in their peripheral vision.
Source: Soliddd
