Relúmĭno, a project from Samsung’s experimental C-Labs section, began life as a VR app that uses VR to aid the visually impaired. At CES next week, though, we’ll see how the project is moving beyond VR.
When it debuted at Mobile World Congress last year, Relúmĭno used a Samsung smartphone coupled with a Gear VR headset to enhance real-life images for those that struggle with their sight. Using the phone’s camera the app, which launched for all Gear owners later in the year, could make blurry images much sharper, which can make reason easier, while image remapping allowed those with central vision loss and similar issues to see what they were missing.
You can see how it works in the video below.
Of note towards the end of the video, though, is what the Relúmĭno team is working on next. Specifically, the group is prototyping a pair of dedicated glasses that are better suited for the outside world than a VR headset (which isn’t something we’d recommend slipping on at the bus stop). It’s just a tease — and not something we’re likely to see released anytime soon — but it’s an exciting glimpse at how AR could bring about huge changes in differently-abled people’s lives.
Also on display from C-Labs at CES will be a neck-founded 360-degree camera called Linkflow. If you’re in town for the show, it might well be worth stopping by. We’ll be there to bring you all the latest from the VR industry.
