Sony closed-captioned glasses

No, these are not 3D glasses. (At least, that’s not all they are.) Rather, they’re the latest innovation in making movies accessible to hearing-impaired patrons. On display at Showeast in Miami this week, they feature tiny projectors attached to each arm that throw subtitles onto the lenses. The glasses-wearer can adjust the height of the text to taste, and the glasses are adaptable for 3D use. Prototypes were tested in Seattle before Sony decided to roll out the system to exhibitors.

Susie Beiersdorf, VP of sales for the Digital Cinema Solutions division of Sony Electronics, says they were developed in response to concerns from the deaf community that existing solutions — for example, the “rear-window” displays that attach to theater-seat cupholders — draw too much attention in theaters. (One blogger calls the contraption a “flag,” since it flags her as hearing impaired to everyone else in the theater lobby.) Driven by a wireless transmitter, the captioning system supports up to six playback languages. The glasses could also come in handy for subtitled screenings at film festivals or in other scenarios internationally.

Sony will ship a receiver that can be used either with the glasses, or with headphones for descriptive-audio services for the blind. They should start to become available in March.