Watch a colorblind man become awestruck as he tries on EnChroma glasses at sunset

A colorblind man tried on color-correcting sunglasses at sunset and uploaded the emotional footage to YouTube.

To simplify a mountain of science, EnChroma lenses use a mathematical formula to boost color vision by working directly with the brain’s vision system. To help users discern color variations, the lenses use more than 100 reflective coatings at the specific ratios required by the brain for proper vision.

But for all their sophisticated technology and use of perceptual psychophysics, the glasses left Aaron Williams-Mele at a loss for words.

The video’s simple description says it all: “I decided to try them on for the first time during a sunset at Whitehurst Beach in Norfolk, Virginia. Needless to say, it was a pretty emotional experience.”

Immediately after putting them on, Williams-Mele’s smile melts right off his face. His bewilderment is incredible to watch. His jaw trembles as he tries to find a way to explain what most people take for granted. He steps back a few times, then turns around to marvel at the grass and flowers. He asks the person filming what color his shirt is.

(I also can’t help but notice how amped-up the color saturation in the video is — perhaps to give us a hint of what the experience must feel like).

Watching someone discover colors may not be a tear-jerker on par with witnessing someone hearing or seeing for the first time, but it is amazing to watch as wearable tech leaves somebody dumbfounded and on the verge of tears.