BOSTON — It may not sound like much, but together a pair of Google glasses and a cell phone could change the lives of anyone who is blind or visually impaired.
One local runner, who is legally blind, will be testing out the cutting edge technology during the Boston Marathon.
Erich Manser and his running partner, Dave, look like any other pair training for the Boston Marathon. But if you listen closely, you can hear the voice of a third person who is also part of their runs.
That voice belongs to a woman from California, who Erich has never met. But they share an incredible connection: she's acting as his eyes.
It's all part of cutting edge technology from the company AIRA, along with AT&T.
They bill themselves as a visual interpreter of the blind. It's a pairing of the Google Glass and mounted camera on the frame.
Because the camera is connected to an app on Manser's phone, he can connect to someone anywhere in the United States who sees everything from his point of view.
“If I'm at a grocery store, I can trigger this app on my phone and it puts me in touch with a remote agent who can tell me, ‘here's your layout,’” said Manser.
He’s one of two people in Massachusetts testing out this technology and on Monday, he's taking it to the extreme.
Manser says his visual assistant for that day is equally as excited -- even though she'll be experiencing the race from California.
Just in case the wireless signal cuts out -- which it has in the past -- Dave will also be there running the marathon with him.