Device allows visually impaired to read and move around freely

June 5, 2013

(Credit: Orcam)

OrCam, an Israeli start-up, has developed a camera-based system that gives the visually impaired the ability to read easily and move around freely.

It has an introductory price of $2,500, available in late 2013 and early 2014.

OrCam reads text and recognizes faces, locates bus numbers, monitors traffic lights, and identifies objects, products and places, and uses sound (via bone conduction) to convey information, the company says on its website.

“OrCam comes pre-installed with hundreds of objects it can recognize, and you can personalize it by teaching it to recognize the objects around you.”

The OrCam device includes a small camera and a bone-conduction speaker attached to your glasses, connected to a portable computer designed to fit in your pocket (credit: OrCam)

Also see: Device From Israeli Start-Up Gives the Visually Impaired a Way to Read, The New York Times.