An experimental AI wearable recognises objects and tells visually-impaired users details of what they're holding
While technology has often sought to improve the lives of people living with disabilities, creative AI implementations may be the next logical step. The National University of Singapore has been demonstrating its experimental new wearable, and thanks to an AI helping hand and some creative use of existing technologies, it hopes to transform the experience of daily life with a visual impairment.
Called the AiSee, the wearable device is worn around the back of the neck like a regular set of headphones you might use for fitness, but hidden in the forward-facing section of the chassis is a 13-megapixel camera (via New Atlas). When the user picks up an item they can take a photo of it using a button on the side of the device, before that image is then processed using the onboard microprocessor and beamed to a cloud network using the internal wireless connection, which then uses AI algorithms to analyse the size, shape, colour and any visible text.
If the object is recognised the user is then told what the object is with a brief description, using a computer-generated voice relayed back through the bone-conduction headphones. This also allows anyone wearing the device to hear the world around them, a feature of vital importance to someone relying heavily on their sense of hearing to navigate.
