INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Blind and visually impaired veterans in Indianapolis are receiving new high-tech tools to navigate daily life more independently.

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which resemble standard frames, feature built-in cameras, speakers and artificial intelligence. The technology describes surroundings, identifies objects and reads text aloud for users.

Bosma Enterprises, Meta and the Blinded Veterans Association partnered for a two-day event in Indianapolis to provide eligible veterans with free Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer glasses and hands-on training.

Eric Knight, a manufacturing manager at Bosma Enterprises, has used the glasses for more than three months. Knight, who works for an organization that employs many people who are blind or visually impaired, uses the technology both on and off the clock. He can ask the glasses questions about his environment, use voice-activated calling and remain hands-free.

“Typically live AI is what I use because to me it’s like a fluid conversation. No ‘hey Meta’. Tell me what color dress that you’re wearing, it’ll tell me. Say for instance there’s a quality issue, out there on the floor. I can ask Meta to describe what’s in front of me. It will describe and count items for me if I need it to,” Knight said.

Andrea Vega, innovation policy lead at Meta, said the hands-free capability is a significant benefit for veterans who struggle to read menus or phone screens.

“For a lot of veterans, it’s so challenging to read, whether that’s menus or your phone, a being able to be fully hands-free is just so beneficial. I heard from someone today that said ‘I was able to read a menu today for the first time’. That’s something that people don’t think about,” Vega said.

During the training sessions, veterans learn to make phone calls, send text messages and use live translation features through voice commands.

“We’re setting up to make phone calls to their families and friends, to be able to voice command, send text messages, to know the right commands, the voice automated commands to actually use them. Something else is we help them with the live translation around them as well,” Vega said.

The glasses have a four-hour battery life, which can be extended using the included charging case. While a quick demonstration shows the potential, the technology offers a long-term solution for users to maintain awareness and confidence throughout the day.

“It improves our confidence, our overall awareness and abilities and it’s really a game-changer,” Knight said.

Meta aims to assist hundreds of people in Indiana and has a national goal of distributing 130,000 pairs of glasses.