The Orcam My Eye is a small intelligent camera system that can be mounted directly to your glasses by us. It has various functions and can be taken anywhere by you due to its small size. In the following, we will bring you closer to the individual functions of the Orcam My Eye here. Some functions are much better for you to use, as long as you can see where there is a text that is important to you.
1.0 First of All, to Describe the Exterior:
1.1 The Head Unit
The Orcam MyEye 2.0 consists of one unit. This unit is mounted on the temple of the glasses and has the following dimensions: 7.6cm x 2.1cm x 1.5 cm. It weighs about 23g. It consists of a camera and a speaker, an LED that turns on in low light, and a Bluetooth unit. This small unit is mounted on the temple of your existing glasses. By the way, if you don’t have a pair of glasses, the kit also comes with a black plastic frame.
Here in the picture above, I am wearing the Orcam MyEye. On the left side, just the heard unit is shown. On the right side of the picture, an additional lanyard is shown which can be mounted to the device in case it falls off the temple.
1.2 How Does the Orcam Feel in the Hand?
The Orcam’s case is made of plastic and has rounded edges. The workmanship is great, by the way. Even after applying a bit of pressure to the case, nothing creaks. The button to turn the device on is located on the flat back of the device. This faces the display handle. Functions are triggered via the touch-field on the curved outside. The touch-field can be felt via a line-shaped contour.
The touchpad can be used to turn up the volume of the Orcam by swiping it forward. It becomes quieter with a swipe to the back. Every contact with the touch bar is confirmed by acoustic feedback. You can therefore tell directly from the click that you have pressed the touch-field. The Orcam 2.0 immediately finds its place thanks to the magnetic clip. Depending on whether you want to wear the Orcam on the right or left side of your glasses, the mounting unit can be mounted.
1.3 The Included Accessories
Inside the box, the Orcam comes in you will also find:
- The power supply for charging the battery
- A magnetic adapter to mount the head unit to the temple of the glasses
- A goggle strap that can be placed around the neck
- A microfiber cloth
- A small cover to cover the magnets when the head unit is not worn.
The Features Explained of the Orcam Myeye
2.1 Read Aloud Function
The Orcam MyEye reads aloud text in print super smoothly. However, you have the choice to start the read-aloud process differently. In the first variant, the Orcam starts the reading aloud automatically. It recognizes the book page and starts at the beginning of the text. In the second variant for starting the reading aloud process, you press the activation button on the base unit.
As a result, the Orcam tells you with a sound of a camera that the text has been detected and it starts reading aloud. Probably the best-known way to trigger the read-aloud function is to point your finger at the text to be read. Here you first hold the stretched finger in the field of view of the Orcam. A double beep then sounds, indicating that the Orcam has recognized the finger. Now simply point to the text passage that you want the Orcam to read out to you.
2.2 Product Recognition
MyEye recognizes previously-stored products. For this, a product must have been stored with three different backgrounds in order to recognize it. The packaging should be as unique and unmistakable as possible. The size of the products to be recognized should be between a playing card and a cereal box.
2.3 Barcode Recognition
You can also recognize products not only by their appearance but also by their barcodes. All you have to do is hold the barcode in front of the MyEye or point directly at it. Afterward, the available product information is searched for you from a database. As soon as the Orcam does not know a code, you will be informed by the voice output “unknown code”.
You can add a barcode that is not in the pre-installed barcode database. To do this, enter learn mode (hold down the Touch Bar) while the barcode you want to learn is in front of the camera. The device will now learn the barcode and prompt you to name it. You can store up to 100 barcodes.
2.4 Person Recognition
The My Eye recognizes faces. Provided that they have been learned before. You will hear a voice output with the previously stored name when a face is recognized. This way you know exactly which known person is standing in front of you.
If you have not memorized the person, you will at least hear a voice output about whether a woman or a man is standing in front of you and whether he is younger or older. By the way, MyEye also recognizes children. The MyEye gives the information about persons either automatically or by pressing the touch area.
2.5 Color Recognition
As soon as you point at a colored object for a few seconds, the My Eye will tell you the color of the object.
2.6 Detect Banknotes
Just hold the banknote 40cm in front of your face and My Eye will automatically recognize the banknote. In contrast, you can of course press the activation button on the base unit or point at the banknote. Just like starting the reading process, you have several possibilities to start the function.
Battery Life:
With continuous use, you get 90 minutes of operating time with the My Eye. If that’s not enough for you, you can always use a power bank as well. In this case, a USB cable extends from the back of the Orcam to the power bank.
3.1 Illumination of the Surroundings
As with any camera system, the contrast and brightness of the environment play a large role in the functions of the Orcam. In a well-lit room with light similar to daylight, the My Eye works optimally and texts are read out perfectly. If the illumination gets worse, the LED automatically switches on.
Thus, texts can still be read well even in poor lighting. This was not possible with previous Orcam models. What we notice very positively is that you can always have very high contrast with displays and therefore they are always very well recognized. A small nice feature is by the way that the Orcam recognizes where you are with your finger on the book page. So you get a lighter or darker double beep signal. So you know immediately if you are moving with your finger just more central or in the edge area of the book page.
3.2 The Read-Aloud Logic and Its Limitations
The My Eye reads in text blocks. Better formulated, this means for you that a captured text is read aloud downwards. What works very well when reading a newspaper normally, on the other hand, can prove difficult at the train station because the time, for example, is in the block to the right of the text block that is being read aloud. This information is important for blind people. If you can see that there is something to the right of the block, you can point to it with your finger. And you would get in this case, the time to the rest of the information.
3.3 The Font
You will notice very quickly in everyday life that standard fonts as found in newspapers or books are recognized very well. What works less well, in contrast, are unusual fonts that are sometimes found on posters. Here, the Orcam sometimes reaches its limits and does not trigger because the text is not recognized as text.
3.4 Bluetooth Support
You can use other devices as audio output. For example, external speakers or hearing aids can be used for this. This is a feature that has been requested very often. Now it is finally here.
- To do this, please open the settings menu
- Navigate to the connection settings
- Now go to the Bluetooth settings menu
- Select the following “Touch to connect to Bluetooth audio device”.
- Select the device you want to connect to from the list of suggested devices.
- You will now hear that you are connected in many speakers.
3.5 Getting Familiar With the Orcam Myeye
If you are now thinking that you need a longer time to learn the functions of the device, we can tell you that it is faster than you think. The onboarding is a kind of tutorial function and guides you through the important functions. It’s all very simple, All you need for this is the Onboarding booklet.
4.0 Updates
The Orcam is a high-tech product and definitely keeps getting improvements in the available features. Similar to cell phones, there are always software updates, some of which also bring new functions. This is done via WLAN. Even after a software update, your personal settings and saved persons and products remain in the system.
5.0 Back-Up
I wish there was this function. As soon as the Orcam is lost, the settings have to be saved again.
6.0 Frequently Asked Questions
What Does the My Eye Do With the Photos I Have Taken?
No photos are saved. Better said, it is characteristics about a person or a product that are stored. There is no picture gallery or anything like that in the database.
Can I Change the Speed of the Voice Output?
Yes, you can! Settings between 100 and 300 words per minute are selectable.
I Read Texts in Other Languages Than English. Is Bilingual Use Possible?
The Orcam MyEye 2.0 automatically switches between two languages.
Is the Orcam Waterproof?
No, it is only protected from splashing water. This means that we recommend you put the device away when it rains.
How Much Does the Orcam Myeye Cost?
OrCam MyEye, is priced at $4,500.
What Are the Classic Problems When You Use the Orcam for the First Time?
Gesture control (pointing your finger at something) is actually totally simple. You just need to be aware of keeping your index finger straight. However, the MyEye must be able to recognize your finger. When I first used gesture control, I held my finger awkwardly and the MyEye didn’t trigger the read-aloud function. You’ll have that figured out after about 3 minutes, though. In contrast to finger-pointing, you can also use the function key to start reading aloud.
Can I Also Perform Software Updates via the Micro USB Port?
No, here you can only charge the device.
What Are the Differences Between the MyEye and the MyReader?
With the MyReader you have the read-aloud function. It recognizes texts and you also have the various options to start the reading process. However, all other functions are reserved for the MyEye.
7.0 Conclusion:
The bottom line is what we really like about the Orcam MyEye is that it is extremely mobile. This gives people with limited vision more independence. In addition, you learn how to operate the device fairly quickly if you already use a smartphone. It is a really great tool and will accompany many people in everyday life.
However, like any camera system, it also has limitations in its functionality as soon as the lighting conditions get worse. The main focus of the Orcam MyEye is the read-aloud function. And this is the one that is mainly used. Therefore, you should consider when buying whether you want the additional functions of the MyEye (face recognition, banknote recognition, and so on) or on the other hand, the MyReader is enough for you. The MyReader is only equipped with the read-aloud function.
The best way to find out what is right for you is to test it. In my experience with this device, you will see fairly quickly what works for you and what does not. My advice is to not only test it inside but also go outside. Try to make the Orcam recognize different fonts and get a feel where you can not count on the device.
