While smart glasses are mostly only found in science fiction, brands as diverse as Snapchat and Facebook have recently introduced their own products.
For those who are deaf or have hearing loss, a new set of smart glasses has just been released.
The augmented reality (AR) glasses, known as XRAI Glass, employ audio to create captions that are immediately projected in front of the wearer’s eyes.
The CEO of XRAI Glass, Dan Scarfe, said, “We are extremely proud of the capabilities of this new technology to improve the lives of people who are deaf or have hearing loss, so that they can maximise potential.”
Whether it is carrying on a conversation while continuing to prepare dinner or talking to a buddy while out for a walk.
The software was given by XRAI Glass, while the hardware was created by the AR glasses company Nreal using its Nreal Air glasses.
This software transforms audio into the conversation with subtitles, which is afterward displayed on the glasses’ screen.
According to XRAI AR Glass, the glasses can even recognise the speaker and are soon going to be able to translate languages, voice tones, accents, even pitch.
Josh Feldman, 23, has worn hearing aids in both ears since he was 18 months old. He was born with substantial hearing loss.
He put the glasses through their tests without knowing what they would deliver and found them to be “truly extraordinary.”
The impact of being able to communicate with someone by speaking to them rather than just reading their lips is unquestionably something that may change their life, Josh added.
Hannah Brady, who has a 60% loss of hearing in both ears, called the glasses “amazing.”
She remarked, “Gosh, that’s pretty accurate.” What’s amazing about it is that it doesn’t obstruct my ability to see, either.
The glasses can make it possible for deaf people to use other technology, such as smart assistants, in addition to enabling them to “watch” discussions with other people.
While simultaneously slicing limes in the kitchen, Hannah used the glasses to speak with Amazon’s Alexa also was able to “see” Alexa’s response about the weather forecast.
“This is a terrific illustration of the positive influence innovative technology can help people who are deaf or have hearing loss,” said Mark Atkinson, CEO of Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID).
The power of technology to change how our communities live excites us at RNID.
‘XRAI glass is user-friendly & intuitive, and it has the potential to be a powerful tool in ensuring that persons with hearing loss do not even feel excluded in social situations.
“We appreciate and encourage this effort and are eager to do our part to link innovators with our varied communities,” the statement reads.
The glasses are currently available through EE for £399.99, or for EE customers for an initial fee of £10 then £35/month for 11 months.
