Invention of a visual aid technology device

The device is a combination of gaming glasses and eyeglasses, it creates 3D images that text, graphics and video can be overlaid on top of real world images.

When their two-year-old son Biel fell frequently and had difficulty climbing stairs after learning to walk, Jaume Puig and his wife sought medical help to figure out the problem.

Taking her to several doctors, they discovered that Biel had congenital low vision, a much more common condition than blindness that made everyday tasks much more difficult.

In Biel's case, low vision was caused by a problem with the optic nerve but the condition could also be caused by defects in the retina, brain, or other parts of the visual system, or by diseases such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.

Visual aids

Low vision cannot be treated with glasses or surgery. And while magnifying glasses can help with specific tasks like reading, there is no available technology to assist toddlers.

So in 2017, Jaume Puig, a Spanish electrical engineer with his wife, doctor Constanza Lucero, founded Biel Glasses, a company that invents digital devices to help people with vision less able to move safely on their own.

'Canes and guide dogs are the only options available. We're doing this because we feel it's absolutely necessary," Jaume Puig, 52, told AFP at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, ​​the telecom industry's largest annual meeting. His and his wife's headgear is on display at the exhibition.

A combination of gaming glasses and eyeglasses , it creates 3D images where text, graphics, and video can be overlaid on real-world images. The device also uses AI to detect and signal obstacles.

'We can use these technologies to enhance their limited vision so they can be more independent. Even if we can't cure him, we can still help him through this,' Jaume Puig said of Biel, now 8 years old.

When the wearer approaches an object that is blocking their way, a large red circle will appear on the screen to alert them to the obstacle. It also allows them to zoom into a street sign or other object.

The development of the glasses cost 900,000 euros, of which the couple invested 65,000 euros themselves and the rest came from public institutions and community grants. They worked with a team of doctors and computer engineers, including one of Spain's leading experts in low vision, to create a product that has been approved for use in the European Union. .

The device is expected to go on sale in Spain and Denmark later this year. This particular glass needs to be customized to the specific needs of each user and is currently on sale for 4,900 euros ($5,850).

Jaume Puig, who has founded several other tech startups, now hopes to add voice activation and a navigation system that works with Google Maps in future versions of the device.