Scene-aware AR glasses to help people with low vision do daily activities
SCH: Scene-Aware AR Systems for Low Vision People in Activities of Daily Living
Smart augmented-reality glasses aim to help people with low vision perform everyday tasks like cooking and walking outdoors by highlighting important visual information.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11192323 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project builds smart AR glasses that recognize the environment and selectively enhance only the most relevant parts of your view so your natural vision is preserved. The team focuses on two everyday tasks—meal preparation and outdoor mobility—and uses AI to identify objects, obstacles, and text to make them easier to see. You would try wearable prototypes while doing real-world tasks so designers can refine how the system highlights items, warns about hazards, or enlarges details without covering your whole field of view. Tests in realistic settings will check safety, usability, and whether the glasses help you stay more independent.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with uncorrectable low vision who have trouble with daily activities like cooking or navigating outdoors and who can wear a head-mounted AR device.
Not a fit: People who are completely blind (no light perception), whose vision loss is fully correctable with standard eyewear, or who cannot tolerate wearing head-mounted devices are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these AR glasses could make daily tasks safer and help people with low vision stay more independent.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior AR and magnifier tools have helped with limited tasks, but scene-aware, AI-driven AR for complex daily activities is relatively new and remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhao, Yuhang — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Zhao, Yuhang
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.