Diminished visibility can occur suddenly or develop gradually over time making simple tasks like reading, watching television, or just seeing things from a distance, highly daunting. Macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and optic atrophy, among others, are considered to be legally blinding conditions. Here, corrective glasses or contact lenses are no longer a viable solution. Left out from the fold, people suffering from such conditions depend on others to navigate their day-to-day activities.

This case study gives insight into how a leading technology provider partnered with HARMAN to develop a mobile-enabled VR device to help those with low vision by:

• Developing a low-weight VR headset connected to the smartphone that can be worn for extended periods
• Developing best-in-class VR screen with a 13-megapixel camera, flashlight for reading, and standard virtual reality features
• Implementing voice-enabled settings to tweak features such as brightness, zoom in/out, and view content through voice commands without using the smartphone