Samsung launches Relumino VR app to help visually impaired see better

Samsung has launched Relumino VR app- a product of C-Lab, Samsung’s in-house incubator to help people with visual impairments see better. This application, available for download in the Oculus Store targets people who have problems seeing things, including those who have tunnel vision and metamorphopsia.

Relúmĭno was first showcased at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona earlier this year. The app works in conjunction with the Gear VR, meaning the user plugs their Galaxy smartphone into the headset and their phone serves as the display and processor.

The app works by projecting the images captured by the rear camera of a smartphone. Once this image is projected, the user can then magnify or minimize the image and highlight the outline of the image. The program can also filter a certain color, reverse the colors and adjust contrast and brightness.

Relumino effectively brings a new level of clarity to TV, books, artwork, and other real-world objects. The rear camera on the smartphone is the “eyes” of the Gear VR (and thus the person wearing it). Though it could be used in an outdoor setting, Samsung cautions against this for safety reasons.

Samsung said those with impaired peripheral vision — or “tunnel vision,” as it’s often termed — are able to set the parameters of their blind spots so Relumino can remap “unseen images to place in visible parts of the eye.”

“Relúmĭno will be the life-changer for 240 million of the visually impaired people around the world, and we promise a firm and continuing support,” said Jaiil Lee, vice president and head of the Creativity and Innovation Center at Samsung.

This app can be downloaded through the Oculus Store for free, but the languages supported are limited to Korean and English. Among the supported devices are the Samsung Galaxy S7, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and theSamsung Galaxy S8 Plus.