Industry News
HOYA Develops Wearable Device For Night Blindness
HOYA Surgical Optics (HSO), a division of the HOYA Group, has developed a wearable device intended to assist the vision of night blindness patients in low light conditions.
The device, “HOYA MW” (provisional name), is a wearable glasses-type apparatus. It utilizes image processing software to process images captured on a HOYA-developed miniature high-sensitivity camera, and subsequently projects these images onto an organic EL display mounted in front of the wearer's eyes.
Individuals affected by night blindness have impaired vision in low-light environments, such as in dark places or at night. HSO is developing this device with the intent of providing these patients with brighter visual function, drawing on the advanced eyewear technology that HOYA has developed over many years. HSO is currently conducting real-world testing and verification of the device's usefulness.
The device was developed by HOYA under collaborations with Kyushu University and Tokyu Corporation. These test activities involve night blindness patients wearing the device while walking through environments such as train stations and commercial facilities.
The chairman of the Tokyo Retinitis Pigmentosa Society, Kentaro Doi, commented, "Although most individuals with night blindness maintain some degree of visual function in bright conditions, their vision is reduced in dimly-lit conditions. This has a major impact on their day-to-day lives, causing them to, among other things, avoid going outdoors. While the effects may vary depending on the severity of their condition, I firmly believe that this product will be of significant benefit to the majority of patients suffering from night blindness."
HSO will continue to move forward with testing and verification of the device, and plans to officially launch the product in Japan towards the end of 2017, following further improvements. The sales price at launch and other details are yet to be determined. HSO also plans to display the device at the exhibition “Sight World 2017,” which will be held at Sumida Industry Hall in Tokyo from November 1-3, 2017.
