[Nfbf-l] Checkmate glasses, which are a product of Echo Sense

[Alan Dicey via Nfbf-l]

Dear Friends,
Now, this is something I never heard of or thought about before!
Not using a "Smart Phone myself, " but just a simple regular old Cell phone, 
it would not work for me, unless I purchased a Smart Phone.
I can see some potential in this new invention.
That is until some company wins the "Race to find a Cure for Blindness"!
What do you think?
With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Florida

Dr. Michael Arbitman is one blind consumer who really appreciates the
Checkmate glasses, which are a product of Echo Sense.  These glasses assist
blind and visually impaired individuals when traveling independently.  When
these unique glasses are worn, a signal is sent to a network of sighted
guides that the user chooses in order to get their assistance.  If you want
to be part of this network, the wearer of these glasses has to invite you in
by using Google Chrome or a plug-in feature through the cell phone attached
to the glasses.  Once you are part of that network, you are able to see the
objects that the consumer's glasses are looking at.  Thus, you are his eyes.



While Dr. Arbitman wears these Checkmate glasses, his wife is able to read
prescription bottles and newspaper articles to her husband while these
objects are near his glasses.



One advantage to wearing Checkmate glasses as opposed to other forms of
independent travel is that the glasses offer a sense of security for the
consumer.  If the consumer has people in his network that he trusts, he
would much rather have those people tell him the denomination of money he is
holding in his hand instead of having a stranger tell him.



One other fascinating experiment that Dr. Arbitman attempted was to get
behind the wheel of a car, despite his vision loss.  His wife was at his
side while he entrusted her to tell him what his Checkmates were looking at.
Don't worry.  Dr. Arbitman rode around a parking lot.



Here are some other events in which the glasses were invaluable to Dr.
Arbitman.  One day, he was getting ready for an event, and needed to color
coordinate his outfit with the team.  A sighted member of his network logged
in to let him know which tie matched the

team.

 On another occasion, he was setting up his surround sound when the DVD was
not working right.  As a result, his best friend Eddie logged in and walked
Dr. Arbitman through the setup of the Onkyo receiver with his Bose system.
He also detected flat tires and newspapers on the ground with help from his
sighted network, and was able to meet his wife at a mall one day while
guided by another sighted person in the network.