Cody Smith

Cody Smith, inventor of TruV (http://genvcampaigns.org/2009/01/22/interview-cody-smith-on-inventions/)

What would you do if you were legally blind, unable to do simple things such as drive a car? Would you sit back and wait a decade or two for technology to develop far enough to improve your vision, or would you take matters into your own hands? For Cody Smith, a 17-year-old who is legally blind, the answer was simple. When he first saw a camcorder and realized that the technology to improve his vision already existed, he figured, “why wait”?

Smith hadn’t really considered being legally blind a disability, until he was told that he couldn’t drive. The reality that his disability really was a disability sank in, and through research Smith discovered that he wasn’t the only one that was visually impaired. Smith knew that within the decade there would probably be technology to allow him to drive, but when he picked up a camcorder and saw the optical zoom, he realized that the technology he needed was sitting in his palm. Since there was no market for low-vision aids, no company had ever invested time or resources in creating one, and Smith realized he would have to develop one himself. As his mind started exploring the possibilities that optical zoom created, TruV, a vision enhancement system, was born.

The TruV Personal Visual Enhancement System (http://community.buglabs.net/Smartkid/posts/41-TruV-found-a-bug-)

Smith has been working on his TruV project for almost a year. TruV uses the technology of video glasses, which are currently being used by the entertainment industry to deliver streaming video directly to the eyes of the user. A small, point of view USB camera will be mounted on the frame and will use optical and digital zoom to bring objects closer for users. A small, portable, battery powered computer will project the image from the camera onto the video glasses, to allow users to see using optical and digital zoom. Although his prototype is not yet finished, he already has big plans for future models: “I intend to implement a GPS into the device to give mobility instructions on screen to the user to make the task of getting around on foot easier…A voice only unit can be made for those who are truly blind with simple object detection and GPS capabilities.”

His project starting attracting attention when he entered his TruV invention into the Invent Your World challenge. It caught the eye of BUG Labs, who have since taken an interest in the project and are currently helping create a prototype of his “video glasses.” Over the course of working on TruV, Smith has found that the programming required for these glasses is one of the most challenging obstacles to this project. As Smith says, “We are high schoolers working with code for a new platform . We are attempting to do things that haven’t been done on this platform.” However in spite of the obstacles to this project, Smith is confident that it will succeed, and has already written a patent for it. When his project is complete, he hopes to work on new projects dealing with artificial intelligence, or new ways of circuitry.