When their two-year-old son Biel started falling over and had difficulty climbing stairs after learning to walk, Jaume Puig and his wife sought medical help to figure out the problem.
After visiting several doctors, Biel was diagnosed with having an optic nerve problem, a condition that makes daily tasks a challenge.
Biel’s Low vision can’t be corrected with glasses or surgery. And while magnifiers can help with specific tasks like reading, there was no available technology to help the toddler get around.
In 2017, Puig, a Spanish electrical engineer, and his wife Constanza Lucero, a doctor, founded Biel Glasses, a company which created a digital device to help those with low vision to move about safely on their own.
How does the headset work?
A cross between gaming goggles and glasses, the Biel Glasses creates a 3D image onto which text, graphics and video can be overlaid upon real-world images.
It also uses AI to detect and signal obstacles to give real-time visual warnings.
When a wearer approaches an object blocking their path, a large red circle will appear on the screen warning them of the obstacle. It also allows them to zoom in on a street sign or other objects.
Developing the glasses cost 900,000 euros ($1 million), of which the couple invested 65,000 euros of their own money, while the rest came from public institutions and crowd-funding.
“We thought we could use these technologies to take advantage of the vision he does have so he can be more independent.”
“Maybe we can’t cure him but we can help him,” said Puig of his son who is now eight.
They worked with a team of doctors and computer engineers, among them one of Spain’s top specialists on low vision, to create the product which has been approved for use in the European Union.
Are there any future plans for the glasses?
Puig, who has founded several other technology startups, now hopes to add voice activation and a navigation system that works with Google Maps in future versions of the glasses.
When are the glasses available?
The Biel Glasses are expected to go on sale in Spain and Denmark later this year.
How much do the glasses cost?
The glasses, which need to be customized for the specific needs of each user, cost 4,900 euros ($5,850).
