“Sometimes when I'm going to the store shopping, I walk right by people I know. I'm sure it's because I wasn't close enough to recognize who they were.”
That’s one of the problems Vietnam veteran Douglas Hunter hopes his new AI glasses will solve.
“Reading would be the primary emphasis for me, just being able to maybe read books or read magazines or read recipes.”
Tech company Meta partnered with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired at Mary Free Bed Hospital in Grand Rapids distributing free Ray-Ban AI glasses to veterans with low vision.
The glasses feature built-in cameras, open-ear audio and AI that responds to simple voice commands to read text, identify objects, and describe surroundings.
“You just say, ‘Hey, Meta,’ and ask your question, and it reads or -- oops, now it's going to do it!
“It makes a lot of difference. I can identify food. I can identify packages. I can read signs with it.
Client advocate Charis Austin relies on the technology daily.
“I've been able to identify colors with it. I've been able to read mail with it, so there are a lot of things I can do.”
Users also connect with sighted volunteers through the "Be My Eyes" app for real-time visual help.
Trainers note the glasses are consumer electronics—not medical devices—and urge users to verify critical information.
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