Blinded veteran sees again for the first time in 20 years thanks to electronic eSight glasses

He may have been blind for 20 years, but a pair of electronic glasses has enabled a US veteran to see again, reports the Daily Mail.

Mark Cornell shed a tear when he saw faces clearly, describing the experience as 'eye-opening' and poignantly telling his friend Yvonne that she was 'pretty'.

The Buffalo-born veteran, who served in the US Air Force for 18 years before he lost his sight, is the President of the US Blinded Veterans Association.

Cornell lost much of his sight as the result of a rare reaction to Lyme’s Disease caused by a tick bite that went unnoticed.

He was left with very blurry vision and is unable to see details, but after putting on a pair of eSight smart spectacles, could see his friend’s faces clearly.

The technology consists of a headset, hidden prescription lens frame and a hand-held controller.

The headset includes a live camera that sends a video stream to the controller.
Using algorithms and selected settings such as colour and contrast, the controller customises the video in order to make images easier for people with low vision, including Mr Cornell, easier to see.

The enhanced video signal is then transmitted back to the headset and displayed on LED screens in front of the wearer's eyes.

The controller can be used to zoom in on details up to 14 times their original size, which means that wearers can see a far-away object such as a clock on a wall, or read a newspaper up close.

The contrast control makes a room seem darker or lighter, to make it easier for people to distinguish objects from their surroundings.

Trying on the device at eSight’s headquarters in California, Mr Cornell was able to see his friends.