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'AI glasses give me independence as a blind farmer'

Lee BottomleyCheshire
News imageBBC A man in a red cap, wearing black framed glasses, is holding a chicken under one arm. There is a board behind him that says feathered friendsBBC
Dave Cragg runs a chicken breeding business with his family in Wybunbury, Cheshire

For the family of visually impaired chicken farmer Dave Cragg, his decision to buy AI-powered smart glasses for his 65th birthday delivered a magical moment.

"It was the first birthday - and I am 33 - [that] I have ever seen my dad be able to read a birthday card," said his eldest daughter Philippa Wilcox.

Cragg, who began losing his sight aged 10 and now has very limited peripheral vision, had initially doubted what benefit the glasses would bring. They have also proven controversial amid concerns about covert recording.

But the camera in the frames, which links to apps on his phone, has enabled Cragg from Wybunbury, Cheshire, to become "a lot more independent" than he had been in the past.

"They can really enhance your life basically," he added.

News imageA man and woman are standing next to each other, smiling. They are stood in a barn, with a row of enclosures behind them, and a large cardboard egg crate to the right
Cragg's daughter said the glasses gave her dad more independence

Alongside the ability to use the camera lens to read things like books and menus out loud, he can also make use of connected apps to navigate the world around him despite living with rod-cone dystrophy - a condition which affects cells in the retina.

One such app called Be My Eyes is staffed by volunteers who, via the glasses, can describe what surrounds Cragg.

"If I was looking for something and didn't know where it was, they could tell me exactly where it was," he said.

And with growing concerns around the rise and risks of AI, he said this technology was "a clear demonstration of how good and useful AI can be".

News imageA man with short grey hair, wearing black rimmed glasses, is sat at a table, and is holding a menu for a pub
Cragg has made use of the AI glasses to read the menu at his local pub

His eldest daughter Wilcox, who works alongside him on the family poultry farm as well as acting as his support worker, said the Meta glasses and AI-based apps help increase his independence.

"It's nice that he's got the option where he can do some things like reading, checking things, finding things... all of those little things we naturally do without thinking," she said.

News imageA head and shoulders shot of a man wearing a red cap, and a blue coloured jumper. He is looking towards the camera
The 65-year-old farmer began losing his sight at the age of 10 and now has very limited peripheral vision

The technology also provides peace of mind when he takes the dogs for a walk near their home or is working in the fields, Wilcox added.

"If you were living on your own as a blind person, they would be invaluable," Cragg said.

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