Inexpensive Reading Assistance Device?

N8F8 asks: "I would like to come up with an inexpensive reading assist device for the visually impaired. Something that would give them a close-up view of things without having to stoop over. For under $500. What I would like is a method to connect a USB/Firewire webcam to a CDMA phone or PDA and display the picture in real-time. Or replace the PDA with an inexpensive eyeglass mounted display. Are there better options?"

"Over 1.2 million Americans are in the advanced stages of Macular Degeneration. People with very poor vision have a hard time reading everyday items like food labels, grocery store signs and newspapers. Many have resorted to carrying around large magnifying glasses and other tools so they can stoop over or pull things close enough to read. As you might imagine, this can make everyday chores rather cumbersome.

Initially, two ideas came to mind:

• A coherent fiber optic cable with a taper end to magnify the image
• A portable video camera connected to a tiny LCD monitor

A quick posting to the sci.optics newsgroup killed the first approach. Price, performance and reliability tip the scales in favor of the second option.

The second option brought several possibilities to mind. Tiny cameras are cheap and plentiful- from USB/Firewire webcams to tiny spy cams. The ideal device would have built-in auto focus. The Apple iSight is the only webcam I've found with built in auto focus, are there others?

Tiny monitors are another matter. Many articles covering 'near eye displays', 'heads up displays' and 'head mounted displays' have been published. There are even a few interesting products on the market. Unfortunately they are all extremely expensive.

Nearly every new PDA, CDMA phone, digital camera and digital video camera contains a nice little LCD screen. Perhaps using one of these devices could help keep the cost down?"

Comments

Ah, the love of technology

[Txiasaeia]

Forget computers and webcams - way too complicated. Just figure out a way to mount a pair of thin binoculars to a normal pair of glasses (so you can move them out of the way when you don't need them) and you're set. Near-blind grannies with webcams and HUD-LCDs? That's just freaky, man. I don't want my grandma to become a cyborg!

compound reading glasses

[TheSHAD0W]

I second the motion. Sometimes people go too far overboard with technology.

Modern polycarbonate lenses are thin and lightweight; it shouldn't be difficult to produce double-lensed reading glasses, designed to help those with even the most awful eyesight. I'd suggest designing it so the front lens can be installed by an optician, so that a pair can be customized to that person's prescription.

Let's see....

[whoda]

"Many have resorted to carrying around large magnifying glasses and other tools so they can stoop over or pull things close enough to read. As you might imagine, this can make everyday chores rather cumbersome."

So, instead of a magnifying glass in their purse/pocket, you propose to load them up with digital camera's, head mounted LCD's, the batteries for such devices, space to store spare cables/connectors for the inevitable shopping cart/car door issues that will arise.
Seems to me the magnifying glass is the easiest, most un-obtrusive, lowest learning curve, no power required, best solution.

As an added bonus, if they break the magnifying glass at the supermarket, there is an aisle with more so they can have an insta-replacement.

Re:Magnifying plastic sheets

[N8F8]

The problem is that peopel have difficulty seeign things at arm length. They currenly have to stoop over to see things even with a magnifying glass. What they need is a magnifying glass on a rope.