RayBan Meta – AI glasses that can be life changing for the visually impaired.

 RayBan Meta are ‘smart glasses’ created through a collaboration between RayBan, who first made their iconic sunglasses in 1936, and Meta, who are the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

The resulting spectacles have AI technology built in. The glasses can capture photos and videos and you can stream live to your social media. They have a voice-controlled AI assistant built in and by saying “Hey Meta” you can ask questions, take photos, get information, control music and much more.

The glasses have “open-ear” speakers and microphones allowing you to listen to music, take calls, or get the AI assistants responses directly without wearing ear buds or headphones – meaning you can still hear your surroundings. Meta runs through a simple app that operates from a smart device. With more developments on the way the possibilities of what these glasses will be able to do are remarkable.

We at Stony Optical were very interested in how this technology can be used by those who are visually impaired. We spoke to one of our long-standing customers John, who is severely sight-impaired and discussed what issues he faced because of this. John said he finds many daily tasks difficult, relying heavily on his wife Eileen to read emails, letters and instructions.

He finds it difficult when Eileen is out and struggles to call her if he needs her because he can’t see well enough to use his phone to call her. And texting is impossible. We discussed the Meta glasses and the potential use for them as an aid to help him with those types of tasks and John was keen to try them.

Ruth, our Dispensing Optician, who is currently studying for her Masters in Low Vision, checked in with John to see how he was getting on with his Meta’s. His face instantly lit up as he explains to Ruth his experience. ”These glasses are incredible, in-fact I’ll go on as far as saying they are actually life-changing. The ‘look-and-read’ technology allows me to live more independently. From reading my prescription labels to narrating audio books, they are super. The app is also easy to use and the artificial technology has given my wife some of her time back.”

John has lost significant amounts of vision in both eyes through suffering with age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. Along with thousands of other people living in the UK suffering sight loss, John had been praying for some kind of breakthrough. The clever built in technology, which allows the operator to use them hands free, can really help to reduce the stigma around people living with sight loss.

John finds the ‘Look-and-Read feature’ particularly helpful. “I can look at some text on a letter or email, say “Hey Meta read this.” Then Meta reads out what I am looking at.”  

They work in the same way if you say, “Hey Meta, what am I looking at?” Meta will describe what you are facing. John gave us a great example of how he put his Meta to the test on a shopping trip where he was unsure if the packet of meat he was holding was beef or pork. Asking Meta, “What am I looking at?” confirmed it was indeed beef.

Imagine being severely sight impaired and now, with the use of a pair of spectacles, being able to read out cooking instruction on food packets or what dosage to take on medications. John has been trialling his Meta’s for a few months now and is overwhelmed at the independence they are giving him back. This is vital for anyone living with sight loss or blindness.

Stony Optical are proud to be an official supplier of RayBan Meta. Visit our practice or call 01908 567672 to speak with one of our Dispensing Opticians to find out more.