It might seem a bit odd: an iPhone application to improve the ability people with presbyopia to see up close. But next year Ucansi, a U.S. company based in Israel, will launch their app called “Glassesoff”.
Instead of trying to improve aging eyes, this app is developed to boost visual acuity by using a proprietary method that affects the brain’s visual cortex performance. The aim is to improve the ability of reading up close and the ability to do that for a longer period of time.
Some details from Ucansi:
Similar to computers binary code, everything captured by the human eye is translated into the equivalent of “0” and “1” by the vision system. Those “0” and “1” are translated into visual images such as Gabor patches that vary by their spatial frequency, contrast and spatial orientation and are best for stimulating the neurons in the early visual cortex of the brain.“GlassesOff™ product enhances the visual system’s image processing capabilities by using the optimal Gabor patches to stimulate the visual cortex. GlassesOff™ treatment significantly boosts the speed and quality of image processing in the brain. On average, users that train 3 times per week (each training session lasts around 15 min), complete the treatment within 3 months. Once eliminating the need for reading glasses, we recommend users to implement our maintenance training protocol, which only requires 2-3 treatment session per month.”
Their method is described by Uri Polat, co-founder of Ucansi, as “using the brain as glasses”. The app will cost about $95 and will become available early next year.
