Regulation of smart glasses needs to balance privacy concerns against the technology’s potential benefits for people with vision impairment, according to a Monash University researcher.
Monash Assistive Technology & Society Centre director Professor Kim Marriott said smart glasses were already being used by people who are blind to support activities including independent travel and shopping.
His team has investigated the use of smart glasses to help people with Cerebral Vision Impairment understand and interact with their surroundings.
“Smart glass technologies are transforming the lives of people who are blind, and we need to ensure that hasty regulation does not remove people with disabilities’ access to these glasses, restrict where they can use them, or stigmatise their use of these glasses,” Professor Marriott said.
“Our research has demonstrated that smart glasses can meaningfully address key challenges in locating objects, reading text, recognising people, engaging in conversations, and managing sensory stress for people with different levels of vision impairment.”
Professor Marriott said future smart glasses could provide additional assistance by highlighting and simplifying visual information for people with low vision.
Audio functions could also potentially support people with dementia, including by providing reminders about who they are speaking to or when to take medication.
“Clearly, we need policies to protect privacy and safeguard against predatory behaviour, but we also need to balance this with ensuring access to and recognising the life-changing benefits smart glasses can provide for people who are blind and other people with disabilities.”
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