Visionaries: Episode 17, Tech Tonics: technology pros and cons: Meta glasses by Susan Gray

If you are a technology buff, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the amount of new devices available with artificial intelligence.  Virtual assistants are everywhere, answering all manner of questions on all manner of devices.  From smart phones and smart speakers to smart glasses or watches, computers and tablets, it isn’t hard to feel like your grandfather asking his grandchild to respond, but saying the wrong child’s name…

Deciding which device to use for what task can in and of itself be a source of confusion.  Let’s spend some time examining the features of some of the most user friendly devices and make those decisions a little easier.

Beginning with the newest first, smart glasses have made their entry into assistive technology with the pairing of Meta smart glasses and the award winning applications “Be my eyes” and Aira. Some of our peers are using the Meta glasses to see if they are helpful for someone with vision loss. Below are some of the results from the testing we have been doing.   

First, we need to look at the cost of the glasses.  They retail at three hundred dollars, and you need a smart phone in order to use them.  While this price tag is less than the earlier versions of smart glasses that can run upwards of three thousand dollars, the cost will be prohibitive for many of our blind peers living on a   social security income. When considering the overall costs of the glasses, a smart phone, and y fi connection, pre-determined usefulness becomes a priority prior to purchase.

The pros of the Meta glasses:

·         You can take pictures and video, hands free, and send them to your contacts

·         They offer audible, hands free use for identifying objects or short texts, colors or  surroundings

·         As the audio comes through the arms of the glasses, your ears are not covered by ear buds, and you are able to use hearing aids or listen to background sound

·         You can  control the volume of the audio output, but the glasses also automatically adjust when they recognize noise around you,  and will increase and or decrease volume

·         The battery life for the glasses is about six hours

·         You can ask for more targeted  description of an object or area, if needed

·         You can use be my eyes or Aira  to call a volunteer, who will be able to see through the camera what you see to help you navigate your surroundings

·         You can play and pause music, books or  podcasts  hands free

·         You can call, text, or email hands free

·         You can ask the virtual assistant to find information for you , such as business addresses and hours of operation, answers to questions on any topics within its expanding data base, including current  weather, date and time

·         You will receive updates as functionality improves, so you won’t need to wait for a new version of Meta glasses

·         Meta glasses come in several different styles, and can be just clear glass, darkened sunglasses, or transition lenses that go from clear to dark depending on the light source you are in.  They look and feel like regular glasses and are not obvious to others that they are smart glasses.

Cons or drawbacks of the Meta glasses:

·         Users have found initial set up difficult, and unless you are a tech wizard, you may need a sighted person to assist you.

·         While you can ask the glasses about the battery life remaining while in use, the charging station, which is the glasses case, has a set of different colored lights that you would not be able to see, indicating the charge or “ready” status.

·         The charging case does not come with a cable to plug in for recharging, so you will need to purchase one separately.

·         The description for medication is poor, due to privacy and safety limitations.

·         The glasses won’t describe what is on your computer screen, due to privacy and security reasons

·         Framing an object to take a picture for Meta to describe takes some adjustments.  The camera is located on the left side of the glasses, so the user will need to incrementally turn their head in order to frame and get the object into view at times.

·         The glasses can tell you what they are seeing, but this won’t be a helpful navigation device while you are moving.  They need to be paired with “Be my eyes or Aira volunteers to be a safe navigation device.

·         The glasses are unable to read an entire document, but paired with Be my eyes, it is possible to hear a full page of text.

If you are considering purchasing a pair of Meta glasses, understanding their strengths and limitations will help this decision.  Make a list of all the things you would like the glasses to help you with, and compare this with how they actually work, so that you can manage your expectations.

While you can try them on at Sunglass Hut, Best Buy, Walmart and other stores, you won’t be able to use them with the “Be my eyes” application or walk around with them on.  Doing your own research about their capabilities is the best way to understand if they will be a useful device for you and your lifestyle. 

Hadley School for the blind has a podcast you can listen to reviewing both Meta glasses and the Envision glasses.  Remember that content and AI abilities are changing almost daily, so if the glasses cannot perform a task well today, they are literally learning how to be more accurate and useful for the future.