Video Headsets for the Vision Impaired?

OldHawk777 asks: "Does anyone know of a source for a lightweight wearable video headset system for vision impaired people? Are there vision degeneration diseases that such a vision system would be specifically useful to the vision impaired person? Would USA Medicare and/or private insurance pay for such a medical device?"

"I have searched a few times over the past few years for a lightweight wearable video system for vision impaired people (Legally Blind). I am looking for a hardware and software configuration that allows people full mobility around home and for short walks. Considering that, I am only talking about a good quality digital camera, video card, video-headset, external power/batter and maybe some firmware on the video circuitry for personal preference configuration (I figure, maybe $300 to $800). The system would not be for replacing the seeing-eye-dog or cane-navigation, but neither can read and it is hard learning Braille at age 65.

A small good quality digital camera as input, to video circuitry with firmware, allowing adjustments/configuration (contrast, color, magnification, etc) and flash-save of user requirements, with output to a good quality video headset (providing adjustable viewing maybe about 125cm@1.5m to 250cm@1m).

So, who has one ready? Please share their website with us, so I can pass the information to the friends, children, and grandchildren of some folks that I know. All of the websites I have visited show only NTSC/PAL/HDTV/camcorder systems for television, airline movies in first-class, virtual environments, military simulations/games, and so on. Most configurations were structured around existing entertainment centers and VE generators, none were appropriate for reading and looking at reality and/or for vision impaired people.

Thanks in advance, for all your helpful comments and directions."

Comments

Wired for video

[mknewman]

How about this: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.09/vision.ht ml

Reply: What are you looking for?

[OldHawk777]

Thanks for your comment.

I looked at the emoscop. An emoscop adapter on a less expensive 2Meg or 4Meg pixel camera may be a very good way to reduce the cost of building a video headset for the Legally Blind. I'll be glad when I retire in a few (too many) years and have time to build a prototype (maybe someone will do it before me, ... I hope they won't patent what I consider an obvious application of available technology). After I retire ..., taking the SF farther may involve some of the concepts implied by the below websites.

Electroreactive and conducting polymers:

http://www.wcupa.edu/_acad emics/sch_cas.che/mrc.htm

Smart Optics:

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/d oi/10.1046/j.1468-4004.2003.44126.x/abs/

Flexible water-filled lens concepts:

http://physics.ucsd.edu/students/courses /fall2002/physicslabs/physics1clab/

Maybe a smart/programable emoscop with eltroreactive fluid-filled lenses for .... As Annie always said to Daddy WarBucks; TOMORROW ....

OldHawk777