Smart glasses give deaf and hard of hearing people visual access to speech
He was diagnosed with hearing loss 10 years ago and has used bimodal hearing — wearing a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other — ever since. He said the procedure didn't meet his expectations. Smart glasses did.
'If I had to do [the cochlear implant] over again, I would not have gone through that,' Schechter said. 'But then I came upon XanderGlasses in 2023, and these are really a game-changer… I can just wear the glasses while maintaining eye contact and be able to read what people are saying.'
Though Schechter doesn't wear the glasses daily, using them at restaurants, community meetings and for conversations with his family has become an essential part of his life.
'[XanderGlasses] was a big advantage for me … just talking to my family members,' Schechter said. 'Instead of just texting, I'm now able to talk to people … my boys and other family members. It's just a huge advancement.'
The two primary types of smart glasses are augmented reality and artificial intelligence. The purpose of AR glasses is to merge the virtual world with the real world, enhancing surroundings by overlaying digital content. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence glasses focus on providing intelligent assistance, such as voice-based interactions, real-time information and hands-free communication.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 15% of American adults report some difficulty hearing, with the majority falling between the ages of 60 and 69.
Marilyn Morgan Westner, co-founder of XanderGlasses, said their glasses are designed to be a standalone, reliable communication device that doesn't rely on smartphones or cloud services.
XanderGlasses had their technology built into their glasses to reduce the delay in real-time conversations. (Image courtesy of XanderGlasses)
XanderGlasses co-founder Alex Westner said XanderGlasses are for those with severe hearing loss who no longer benefit from hearing aids or are considering cochlear implants, as the glasses offer communication support rather than improved hearing.
'We always hope that our glasses give people the ability to stay connected and be part of their community and their family,' Westner said.
Smart glasses have a wide price range, from the XREAL Air 2 priced at $249 to the XanderGlasses priced at $5,000. Some glasses also include a subscription, such as TranscribeGlass, which prices the glasses at $377 with a $20 per month fee for captions. XanderGlasses said that while the cost for their glasses is high, they offer pathways to reduce the financial burden, such as a partnership with the Veterans Association where any veteran can get them for free.
'This is the most expensive it'll ever be, is what we like to say,' Morgan Westner said. 'When you have new technology, it's always more expensive until the prices come down for all the supplies and the technology, so all the prices will come down over time.'
While XanderGlasses can improve the quality of life for people with hearing loss, they are a new technology that's still being improved.
Schechter said that before an update improved the software, the XanderGlasses would reboot often, forcing them to reset the glasses, as it would fall behind the conversation. If people spoke quickly, the processing speed would lag and fall behind.
Schechter's difficulties reflect broader user experiences with other smart glasses technology.
David Uzzell and Bri Herold are a deaf and engaged couple who have tried three pairs of smart glasses — Hearview, TranscribeGlass and Engo. Uzzell is a chef, while Herold is a data engineer at the New York Times.
Herold said that while they appreciate the potential of smart glasses, they do have significant limitations. Most smart glasses function with only one-way communication, which allows a deaf person to understand what's being said, but does not assist them in communicating back.
'I would like more AR glasses that have an interpreter on the screen inside [the glasses display],' Herold said. 'It's like having an interpreter with me there. So that would be my ideal way of communicating.
Smart glasses were first developed in 1968 by Ivan Sutherland, with a head-mounted display that could theoretically simulate any type of display, including 2D monitors. As the years continued, Google released a discontinued product known as Google Glass in 2013. Recently, smart glasses have evolved into various companies, such as Vuzix, Xreal, Rokid and Halliday glasses.
Through this technology, smart glasses allow people to access information, take photos, translate languages, and navigate using voice commands and touch controls. However, while most smart glasses companies focus on supporting the general public, some specialize in making these glasses available for people with disabilities or accessibility challenges.
According to a Pew Research study published in April, AI has become a concern for the public, especially in industries, as around 59% of the public and 55% of surveyed experts have little to no confidence that companies in the U.S. will develop and use AI responsibly.
Dan Scarfe is the CEO and founder of XRai, a free translator and transcriber app that's able to work on various devices, such as smart glasses. Scarfe said that he started this company in 2022 to support people with hearing loss through transcription and translation.
'My granddad lost his hearing, and I was back in the U.K. with him three Christmases ago,' Scarfe said. '[I] just watched him surrounded by his family, but unable to engage in the conversation and I kind of had this epiphany one day about combining smart glasses and real-time subtitles.'
Smart glasses display words directly in front of the eyes, allowing the wearer to read text while still seeing the surrounding environment through special glass or tiny screens. The brightness, clarity and position of the text can vary depending on the design, which affects how easy it is to read the captions without being distracted.
Achuta Kadambi, an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UCLA, said smart glasses face a major display challenge, as manufacturers must balance the creation of high-quality displays with the development of comfortable, lightweight eyewear.
'I think one of the big challenges is how to make the optics and the display work? What can we do to make that more seamless?' Kadambi said. 'I think we're seeing advances on that, and I think a lot of it is going to come down to material science and fabrication in the coming years.'
Kadami also said to make these smart glasses more effective, companies should focus on reducing the latency, or inference time, which lessens delays in response on smart glasses, hindering smooth use.
'So the inference type problem is that if you do it on [on the device itself] … it just takes time,' Kadami said. 'So if I'm having a conversation, everything is a few seconds delayed. That's not really much of a conversation and prevents adoption.'
Despite these limitations, researchers and developers continue to focus on improving smart glasses, aiming for future versions to be more affordable, immersive and accessible, particularly for individuals with hearing loss.
'With the current technology…the glasses are like having my phone in my field of vision. It's a different perception,' Herold said. 'I like it, and at the same time, I don't have to pull up my phone all the time. I can just walk freely. That is really nice.'
As technology expands, Schechter hopes that medical technology will eventually find ways to improve hearing without hearing aids.
'It's amazing what's here now and what's coming in the future,' Schechter said. 'I'm excited about all the new technology. I just hope I'm here long enough to enjoy it and take advantage of it.' Related
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