Whereas know-how has typically sought to enhance the lives of individuals dwelling with disabilities, inventive AI implementations stands out as the subsequent logical step. The Nationwide College of Singapore has been demonstrating its experimental new wearable, and due to an AI serving to hand and a few inventive use of current applied sciences, it hopes to rework the expertise of every day life with a visible impairment.
Referred to as the AiSee, the wearable system is worn across the again of the neck like an everyday set of headphones you would possibly use for health, however hidden within the forward-facing part of the chassis is a 13-megapixel digicam (by way of New Atlas). When the person picks up an merchandise they will take a photograph of it utilizing a button on the facet of the system, earlier than that picture is then processed utilizing the onboard microprocessor and beamed to a cloud community utilizing the inner wi-fi connection, which then makes use of AI algorithms to analyse the dimensions, form, color and any seen textual content.
If the thing is recognised the person is then instructed what the thing is with a short description, utilizing a computer-generated voice relayed again by means of the bone-conduction headphones. This additionally permits anybody sporting the system to listen to the world round them, a characteristic of significant significance to somebody relying closely on their sense of listening to to navigate.
Ought to the person want extra data on the scanned object, they will then ask the AI verbally for extra description or assist.
The system itself has been designed to be discreet and is unlikely to attract any extra consideration than somebody sporting an everyday set of linked headphones. It additionally makes use of an inside lithium battery pack and does not require a hyperlink to a smartphone or some other system to work.
The AiSee remains to be at the moment a piece in progress, and the researchers say they’re now engaged on enhancements to make the know-how extra accessible and inexpensive, together with dashing up the picture recognition time and bettering the visible recognition parts.
Whereas it is likely to be tempting to throw our collective arms up at some AI powered units and critique their potential utility, when it comes to making the world a extra accessible place for these with disabilities there are some actual and essential use instances the place AI can doubtlessly do some actual good.
Equally, wearable units just like the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional could also be drawing some ire, however the utility of comparable wearable know-how tailored for the differently-abled could properly show to be the important thing to unlocking a way more accessible world for everybody.