Google Launches New Tools to Support People with Disabilities

California – Google has launched new tools designed for people with severe disabilities who cannot use their phones with voice or hands. These tools include an application that enables users to communicate using facial movements.

The new application, called "Project Activate," uses the camera to track facial movements, such as raising eyebrows, opening the mouth, smiling, or looking left or right. These actions can trigger pre-set functions, such as speaking a phrase, sending a text message, or making a call, according to a report from the UAE’s Al Bayan newspaper on Monday.

The app is specifically designed for individuals with conditions like multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, or cerebral palsy.

Lizzie Lillianfeld, the Director of Research, stated during a press conference, "We wanted to create something that works independently of other assistive technologies, is low-cost, and portable."

"Project Activate" is now available in English in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

In parallel, the American tech giant is launching a feature called "Camera Switches," which is integrated directly into the accessibility tools on the Android operating system, used by the vast majority of smartphones worldwide.

This tool, which has been in testing for nine months, works on the same principle of recognizing facial movements and allows users to navigate the screen in front of them, such as selecting a song.

Users can customize "Camera Switches" according to their preferences by setting the size or duration of the movement needed to activate a feature on the device.

The company has also updated its "Lookout" app, which was launched in 2019 and is designed for people with visual impairments to identify objects or texts in their environment.

The app communicates with users via voice and can now read texts in 23 different languages, even if handwritten in Latin script. It has also been updated to recognize two additional currencies: the Euro and the Indian Rupee.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 61 million adults in the United States live with disabilities. Companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft are keen to cater to users in this demographic.