ESight


eSight is a wearable medical device designed to improve the functional vision of those living with low vision or legal blindness. The device was developed by Canadian-based tech firm eSight Corp.

History

eSight was founded in 2006 by Conrad Lewis, a Canadian electrical engineer with two legally blind sisters. His motivation was to build a device that would enable his sisters to see, be able to work and independently perform virtually all activities of daily living. He spent seven years developing the breakthrough technology.
The first generation of the device, eSight 1, was released in October 2013. The second generation, eSight 2, was released in May 2015 and contained several hardware upgrades, including HD OLED screens, enhanced color and screen resolution and a longer battery life.
The current generation, eSight 3, was released in February 2017, and it took over two years to complete the full design. The device has been clinically validated for use in 86 per cent of all cases of vision loss, and is the only clinically-validated device on the market that allows those with vision loss to see. In 2019, the price for eSight 3 was reduced from $9,500 USD to $5,950 USD. Potential buyers can also benefit from a special crowd-funding platform, and eSight helps them with outreach to employers, community groups and other organizations that might bear some of the cost.

Specifications

eSight includes two HD color displays, one in front of each eye, with prescription lenses tailored to the user’s particular prescription. The displays integrate dual independent and high contrast OLED screens, 1024x768 resolution and a 37.5 degree field-of-view. The camera on the front of the device captures video in Ultra HD at 21.5 MP and allows for up to 24x zoom. eSight’s user interface also features HDMI and USB inputs, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and removable SD cards.

Features

The eSight 3 has been approved on the United States Department of Veteran Affairs Federal Supply Schedule which allows eSight to be included on the FSS through December 2023. eSight is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and EUDAMED, and is inspected by Health Canada.

Clinical Studies

In 2018, eSight published results from eQUEST, a multi-center, clinical study, conducted independently at six preeminent low-vision research and rehabilitation institutions in the United States and Canada with a study group of 51 subjects. Published in the September 2018 issue of Optometry and Vision Science, the conclusion showed that eSight introduction yields immediate improvements in visual ability, with face recognition and ADLs showing a tentative benefit of further use. Overall, visual ability, reading, and visual information showed greatest benefit with device use.

COVID-19 Response

On March 24, 2020, eSight launched , a place for connection and support during the COVID-19 outbreak. The #eSightTogether website contains a list of the most pertinent resources for people with visual impairments to stay informed about COVID-19 and access useful tools for managing daily life during this stressful time. These tools include carefully curated low vision resources, at-home entertainment, and educational materials ideal for social distancing, and eSight coaches will also be holding virtual webinars bi-weekly.
On April 9, 2020, eSight announced eSight Workplace, a full service COVID-19 compliant program that enables low vision employees to become productive in a non-touch, socially responsible way. eSight Workplace provides an all-in-one electronic device in the form of an electronic vision device that brings all of an organization’s remotely accessible technology – including native applications – into the employee’s device screen that they can see and control.

Partnerships

In December 2019, eSight partnered with Dell Technologies and Ballet Austin to gift 22 Austin, Texas residents with a pair of eSight glasses to witness the iconic Nutcracker ballet in a special live performance for the visually impaired.
TELUS partnered with eSight in November 2019 to host eSight Experience Day at TELUS Vancouver, which highlighted the importance of accessibility for all, where people could book a 45 minute eSight experience to try on the eSight 3.
In honour of World Sight Day 2019, eSight partnered with CNIB, to expand access of eSight 3 to individuals living with sight loss in Canada. Over the next 12 months after the partnership was announced, the program was slated to expand to CNIB locations across Canada with training provided by both eSight and CNIB, in order to provide greater ease of access and training support for low vision Canadians.

Awards