Russian startup Oriense is developing glasses that help blind and visually impaired people navigate around obstacles. The product, which was pitched to Samsung last year, is scheduled for release this year, reports the Skolkovo Foundation.
The Orsens 3D Camera combines with GPS technology to analyze the environment and notify the user of obstacles with the help of three-dimensional audio. The user hears sound emanate from the direction of the obstacle in plenty of time to react.
The designers say the glasses, which are to be offered with a provisional retail price of $300 to $700 per unit, increase the independence of the blind and visually impaired and decrease care costs. A prototype is nearly finished, while market entry is planned for later this year.
But for now, the company is releasing the camera alone with a cross-platform software development kit. The preorder price is set at $200 per unit, or $160 for orders of 10 or more. It rises to $250 per unit, with similar discounts for bulk purchases, after the preorder phase.
Vasily Ryzhonkov, the head of Skolkovo’s Mobile Technology Center, noted the “important social and economy problem” the company is solving: “raising quality of life for the blind and visually impaired.”
“Around 2 percent of the world population are in this category, about 140 million,” he said. “It’s clear that the problem is not solved entirely, and we’re still to find a proper and low-cost replacement for the guide dog in our technology-filled society,” he added.
Additional B2B revenue streams
As a B2B solution, Orsens can be integrated with all manner of technology for a wide range of purposes, though robotics is the primary market.
“This product targets robotics developers but also copters and wearable electronics that use computer vision,” says Oriense general director Vitaly Kitaev. “Unlike Kinect and similar systems, Orsens works in natural light with lower energy consumption, and builds a picture of depth independently.”
“Everyone understands perfectly well the prospects for robotics and how deeply it will enter our everyday lives,” Kitaev added. “This is where the need for quality and low-cost ‘eyes’ comes in. Robots are becoming more and more active, they are starting to ‘leave’ the home, it’s precisely here where we can help.”
Oriense came through the iDealMachine business accelerator and has won domestic and international tech competitions.
Previously, Oriense created a “navigator” for the visually impaired and the blind, helping them feel confident both inside and outside with the help of an audio guide. This tool was intended to replace ultrasonic canes and other localizers.
This story is an adapted version of an article published by the Skolkovo Foundation.
