For most of us, the world feels full of innovations being released all the time that make our lives easier. But for the 338m people globally who are blind or visually impaired, there are far fewer solutions aimed at improving quality of life.
Bucharest-based startup .lumen is trying to change things with its AI-powered glasses for the blind.
The startup has just raised €4m from Slovakia’s Venture to Future, a VC, and the European Innovation Council.
"Growing up in a family with disabilities, I saw firsthand how technology can transform lives and how much is still needed,” says Cornel Amariei, the startup’s founder and CEO. “I founded .lumen to help people, and on the way, I found that we can do so much more.”
What does .lumen do?
.lumen’s Glasses — which look a bit like a VR headset — use technology similar to that found in autonomous vehicles, to try and provide an alternative to guide dogs. The product uses visual sensors and an AI model to spot obstacles and direct the wearer away from them.
This technology has been tested by over 300 blind individuals from almost 30 countries, the startup says.
It now wants to roll out a limited run of the headsets, launching by the end of 2024, and then enter the US market by the end of 2025. By the end of 2026, it aims to sell 10k units.
The startup adds that the tech might have many more use cases, such as in delivery robotics or possible military applications.
“.lumen is going to do for pedestrian infrastructure what Tesla Autopilot did to the automotive world,” the company said in a statement.
