Samsung's Creative Lab program or C-Lab has unveiled four new projects that involve virtual reality and augmented reality. One of them is capable of letting the visually-impaired see.
The C-Lab is dedicated to nurturing the creativity of Samsung's employees and helping them launch startup companies based on those concepts. This time, the C-Lab has produced an app called Relumino which takes advantage of the Samsung Gear VR headset to help the visually-impared see. The other three new C-Lab projects include the VuildUs app which helps in designing the interior of a home, the traVRer app which solves some problems regarding travelling, and the Monitorless, a pair of smartglasses that cancels the need for a computer monitor.
Relumino is described as a visual aid for the blind and visually-impaired. In other words, it helps the blind see and the slightly blind to see a lot better. The tech utilizes image processing to accomplish that feat. The app uses the images captured by the camera of a smartphone to enhance the sight through virtual reality. Relumino processes the images particularly by enhancing contrast, edges and texts while also remapping blind spots. All these combine to improve the viewing conditions drastically. As a matter of fact, tests done early this year showed that patients using the app improved visual acuity and were able to read faster than they did without the tech.
Relumino costs $99 which is a lot cheaper but equally effective than other visual aids in the market today. The makers of the Relumino app are also planning on using the tech on sunglasses to make it easier and more comfortable to use.
Back in November last year, the C-Lab produced a number of new startups. Some of the projects under Samsung's program included Ahead, a smart helmet for riders and skiers, Hum On!, an app for making one's own music, and Waffle, an app for posting and sharing on a "virtual wall" to produce a "social artwork."
