A recent report from the World Health Organization, released in mid-October of this year, highlighted that at least 2.2 billion people worldwide are living with partial or complete visual impairment.
The impact of visual impairments on individuals' lives is profound and multifaceted. Children with early vision loss often face delays in motor, linguistic, emotional, and social development, and they may struggle in educational settings. Adults with visual impairments are at a higher risk of experiencing anxiety and depression, and they are more prone to social isolation.
The Role of Technology in Healthcare
In recent years, many companies around the world have turned to technological solutions in healthcare. By utilizing modern technology, including AI-powered applications, machine learning, and innovative medical tools, these companies aim to make life easier, safer, and more independent for patients in general and visually impaired individuals in particular.
Numerous apps, software, and technologies are available to help people with visual impairments overcome daily obstacles. Let's explore some of these innovations:
Smart Glasses
1. Eyedaptic Glasses
The Eyedaptic company has developed smart glasses utilizing AI, augmented reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These glasses feature automatic zoom and contrast enhancement, based on adaptive vision programming. This technology provides a more productive life for individuals suffering from central vision loss, a condition that impairs reading, watching TV, and recognizing faces but does not affect mobility.
2. Envision Glasses
Envision, another company in this field, offers smart glasses powered by AI, equipped with features like text-to-speech conversion, real-time video calls for scene description, and facial recognition. These features assist visually impaired individuals in adapting to their surroundings.
3. OrCam Glasses
OrCam has innovated by transforming ordinary glasses into smart ones with a small, wireless camera attached to the frame via a magnet. Wearers can tap the camera’s touch bar to capture an image of their surroundings. The camera then decodes the image and relays the information audibly through a speaker positioned above the ear. This technology can identify various objects, such as money, street signs, and even faces.
The Smart Cane from WeWALK
The WeWALK smart cane is equipped with sensors and processors powered by advanced technologies to help visually impaired individuals navigate urban environments more effectively. It detects obstacles and alerts the user by synchronizing with a smartphone, aiding navigation with GPS and providing real-time audio descriptions of places and objects encountered along the way. Users can set their destination before leaving home and receive voice-guided directions as they walk, enhancing their independence and mobility.
Smart Home Solutions
Voice-controlled smart home systems, assisted by smart assistants, help visually impaired individuals manage their daily household tasks more easily. These systems can:
- Control heating and cooling systems
- Lock and unlock doors and windows
- Manage electrical devices like TVs, vacuum cleaners, and other home appliances
- Notify users about events happening in their homes
The smart assistant can also handle the user’s schedule, keep track of daily essentials, play music, make phone calls, send messages, and perform other routine tasks.
Software Solutions
Various software tools assist visually impaired individuals in adapting to their environment. Using computers, smartphones, or wearable devices, some apps operate with the help of volunteers to help users identify what is being displayed through their phone camera. Other apps convert text displayed on the screen into a format that can be sensed by touch, hearing, or a combination of both. These reading aids rely on AI to perform these conversions.
Screen Readers
Screen readers are applications that convert any text on device screens, whether it’s a computer, tablet, or smartphone, into audible speech. They support multiple languages, including Arabic. When a screen reader is activated, touching the screen only reads out the element that is touched. To activate an element, the user taps it once to select it, then quickly taps twice to engage that element. We have discussed these applications in detail in a previous article titled "How People with Disabilities Engage with Social Media and the Tools That Make It Easier."
Apps Enhancing the Lives of the Visually Impaired
Rezan Salih Ebo, a visually impaired individual and a social activist advocating for people with disabilities, explained the advantages and disadvantages of some apps designed to assist this community in a special interview with Exvar.
1. Seeing AI
"Seeing AI" is a free mobile app from Microsoft, launched in 2017. It uses AI to describe objects that are displayed when the phone camera is pointed at them. Ebo describes this app as reliable, with a good description accuracy and an acceptable error rate. It supports many languages, including Arabic. However, while it describes a fair number of objects such as text, people, and currency, it remains limited in scope and does not recognize many other items. The camera must be steady and pointed at the object to be identified, and the app is not available on Android devices.
2. Envision App
Ebo mentioned another AI-powered app, Envision, which uses the phone camera to help users read, understand, and analyze scenes and environments, thus conveying this information more effectively to the user. It also aids in shopping, using public transportation, and recognizing friends. Ebo added that this app is superior to Seeing AI, offering a more comprehensive database and functionality and supporting both Android and iOS platforms.
3. Be My Eyes
Ebo praised the "Be My Eyes" app, which he relies on heavily in his daily life. Unlike the previous apps, "Be My Eyes" connects visually impaired users with sighted volunteers through live video calls to provide visual assistance and explain what is being seen in real-time. The app is essentially a chat service between visually impaired users and volunteers, who are selected based on language and time zone compatibility. If the first volunteer responds to the assistance request, they connect with the designated user and receive a live video call through the user's smartphone camera. Together, they resolve the task using voice communication.
Ebo noted that this app is completely free, supports both major smartphone platforms, and is available in numerous languages. It requires only an internet connection to link up with a volunteer, and there is no time limit on calls. Ebo has even used the app to repair his computer multiple times with volunteer help, and he and his friends often run awareness and promotional campaigns to increase the number of volunteers in the app's database.
Technology continues to revolutionize the way we assist and empower visually impaired individuals, offering them greater autonomy and a better quality of life. From smart glasses to innovative apps and software, these advancements highlight the importance of inclusivity in technological development. By fostering a community that prioritizes accessibility, we can ensure that these individuals are not only supported but are also given the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Post a Comment
0Comments