AI Assisted Wearable Tech for the Visually Impaired
AiView is a research start-up that aims to assist the visually impaired by helping them navigate and keeping them aware of their surroundings.
Just close your eyes and try to walk
Feels impossible, right? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), About 285 million people are visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision (severe or moderate visual impairment). Blind people do lead a normal life with their own style of doing things. But, they definitely face troubles due to inaccessible infrastructure and social challenges. The most common challenges faced by them are listed below.
Navigation
It is difficult to walk around places when we don’t know what’s happening around us and even more difficult to remember places when you don’t know where you are!
Cognizance
Visually impaired find it difficult to know what’s happening around them. It can be either a happy or even a dangerous situation.
Safety
How is a visually impaired person supposed to know if he’s walking into something dangerous? Could be a dog lying on the road or a person with a gun.
Dependence
Kind and helpful people exist all around the world but they might not be available around us when needed the most. What if we could become almost independent?
Reading/Documents
It is not everytime that the text around you is available in braille. What if you could read anything, anywhere and anytime?
Expensive Tech
The technology developed for such purposes is very expensive compared to the features provided. Also the tech is not fine-tuned to the specific needs of the users.
How we contribute to the solution
At AiView, we make use of technologies like Computer Vision, Artificial Intelligence and Voice Assistance to develop a wearable device that serves the visually impaired and makes their life a tad bit easier. Our goal is to make the user fully aware of the surroundings, while also solving the biggest challenge all visually impaired people face, navigation in open areas. Mentioned below are the key areas we work on.
Obstacle Detection and Navigation
Our navigation software provides real-time assistance to walk independently. Its working involves the detection of obstacles like potholes, animals and traffic lights through computer vision and measurement of various parameters to accurately guide the user along the safest path.
Real Time Object Recognition
Users can recognize a wide variety of objects in real time using the object recognition software. The software can detect and automatically scan barcodes of products, count money, detect color, and do much more. The software is linked to the voice assistant for better user experience.
Image Captioning
Image captioning software allows users to pass a voice command to the system asking for what is happening infront of them. The device then captures an image and turns it into an audio caption which best describes the situation.
Facial Detection and Recognition
Our facial detection software provides support for identifying pre-recognized saved faces and also detecting other faces in the frame. It provides data such as the age, gender and mood of the person in front of them. This helps them to be socially inclusive.
Text Recognition and Audio Output
With a single voice command, the device captures an image of the document or any surface with text and extracts the data from it. This text is then analyzed, cleaned and converted into readable format which is read out by the voice assistant to the user. The software can read text from blackboards, sign boards, bill boards, newspapers and any kind of document, form or even a book.
Personal Voice Assistant
The above mentioned features are controlled by the heart of the device - an AI powered personal voice assistant. Using this voice assistant, the user can pass verbal commands and use the various modules to perform specific actions. With an assistant to guide you and perform required tasks, you will never feel alone.
Our Story
AiView started with the aim of developing a cutting edge product for the visually impaired people to make them more independent and socially inclusive. It all began with us taking up problems faced by visually impaired people and trying to develop solutions for them. With time, we realised the difference our solutions could make if we could democratize the latest developed tech to the people who need it the most. Our main focus with this project is to mould the latest advances in computer science and artificial intelligence and make them available for the people who need it the most. Our goal is to make this product affordable for everyone.