Microsoft Launches AI-Based Talking Camera for the Visually Impaired

[MacRumors]

Microsoft today launched a new app called Seeing AI, which the company describes as a talking camera for people who are visually impaired. The app uses artificial intelligence and the camera of an iPhone or iPad to describe the world around it. It's able to recognize text, objects, and people.

The app turns the visual world into an audible experience and using it is as simple as pointing the camera at various objects and people. The app can recognize saved friends, or describe people based on their approximate age and demeanor, and it can read text that it detects aloud.

Seeing AI can scan and read documents like books and letters, helping with formatting, and it can see objects like money to identify specific denominations. Within stores, it can scan barcodes to help users shop, and it's also able to be used within other apps like Twitter for evaluating images.

An experimental "Scenes" feature is available, allowing the app to analyze what's going on in a photograph. Scenes isn't perfect, and Seeing AI is an ongoing research product, so it may not accurately describe every image.

Seeing AI is available in the U.S., Canada, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore starting today, with Microsoft planning to expand it to additional countries in the future. It works on the iPhone 5c and later, but performs best on the iPhone 6s and later.

Seeing AI can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Microsoft Launches AI-Based Talking Camera for the Visually Impaired

 

[AppleGuesser]

This is cool. Technology being used to make a persons life better, more productive, that’s the dream and goal. Bravo Microsoft for attempting this, knowing this is the first of many long steps.

 

[farewelwilliams]

seems like they're releasing all of this tech before the iphone 8 just so that they can say they did something first (incase the iphone does something similar)

 

[WRChris]

seems like they're releasing all of this tech before the iphone 8 just so that they can say they did something first (incase the iphone does something similar)

Microsoft has been working on this for a very long time. They showed it at e3 this year. I think this is more about making the lives of blind people easier, not to be the first.

This software is severely limited by current battery tech.

 

[btrach144]

I believe I read somewhere that two of Satya's children have disabilities. Could explain why Microsoft is pushing accessibility so hard (everyone should be in my opinion). Good for Microsoft.

 

[WRChris]

I believe I read somewhere that two of Satya's children have disabilities. Could explain why Microsoft is pushing accessibility so hard (everyone should be in my opinion). Good for Microsoft.

The guy they had at e3, who said he was leading the project, was blind. I thought it was pretty darn awesome too!

 

[BlueParadox]

This is great.

Also, first impression was that it would be a perfect ingredient for a PROOF (1991) sequel. About a blind photographer. Great film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102721/

 

[hotgril]

A lot better than my original idea in middle school: Connect the composite video cable from a camera to your headphones, and learn how to read the video feed through sound.

I downloaded it. It's really impressive. The "scene" feature says my setup is a desk with a desktop computer, keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

 

[PhilDN]

I can see some issues with a blind or partially sighted person operating this on a phone. My partially sighted father could never contemplate using a smart phone where everything relies on sight. Oh and he's fairly deaf so voice prompts are not idea either.
I can however see this application working beautifully with a variety of Smart Glasses where simply by looking at someone they could tell you who they were. The possibilities are endless but need to be tested on real people.

 

[Apple blogger]

Microsoft today launched a new app called Seeing AI, which the company describes as a talking camera for people who are visually impaired. The app uses artificial intelligence and the camera of an iPhone or iPad to describe the world around it. It's able to recognize text, objects, and people.

The app turns the visual world into an audible experience and using it is as simple as pointing the camera at various objects and people. The app can recognize saved friends, or describe people based on their approximate age and demeanor, and it can read text that it detects aloud.

Seeing AI can scan and read documents like books and letters, helping with formatting, and it can see objects like money to identify specific denominations. Within stores, it can scan barcodes to help users shop, and it's also able to be used within other apps like Twitter for evaluating images.

An experimental "Scenes" feature is available, allowing the app to analyze what's going on in a photograph. Scenes isn't perfect, and Seeing AI is an ongoing research product, so it may not accurately describe every image.

Seeing AI is available in the U.S., Canada, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore starting today, with Microsoft planning to expand it to additional countries in the future. It works on the iPhone 5c and later, but performs best on the iPhone 6s and later.

Seeing AI can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Microsoft Launches AI-Based Talking Camera for the Visually Impaired

If the person is visually impaired, how is he going to use the app? There were so many options, I think voice over would help... right?

 

[Kabeyun]

Nice to see tech companies enable our gadgets to be life-improving tools and not just ways to broadcast your personal life.

 

[CarpalMac]

seems like they're releasing all of this tech before the iphone 8 just so that they can say they did something first (incase the iphone does something similar)

Rumour has it that Samsung started making washing machines, just in case the iPhone {insert number here} does it in the future.

This is great though, and would have been of huge interest to me if my late father was still with us.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Rumour has it that Samsung started making washing machines, just in case the iPhone {insert number here} does it in the future.

this was the best you came up with?

 

[WRChris]

If the person is visually impaired, how is he going to use the app? There were so many options, I think voice over would help... right?

Hey Siri, open ______.

Apple also supports OS level voice over.

 

[theheadguy]

seems like they're releasing all of this tech before the iphone 8 just so that they can say they did something first (incase the iphone does something similar)

seems like you really have no idea, and you didn’t read the article or know about the people who lead the project before posting. kudos to MSFT for being a positive force in the world. they are on the right track.

 

[farewelwilliams]

seems like you really have no idea, and you didn’t read the article or know about the people who lead the project before posting. kudos to MSFT for being a positive force in the world. they are on the right track.

seems like you don't have a clue on the whole concept of capitalism.

it's obvious Apple's push to AR is going to be huge for disabled users. MSFT likely accelerated development the moment they heard about Apple AR rumors. "An experimental "Scenes" feature is available" and "Seeing AI is an ongoing research product" are obvious clues.

 

[WRChris]

seems like you don't have a clue on the whole concept of capitalism.

it's obvious Apple's push to AR is going to be huge for disabled users. MSFT likely accelerated development the moment they heard about Apple AR rumors. "An experimental "Scenes" feature is available" and "Seeing AI is an ongoing research product" are obvious clues.

Competition in the market is always a bad thing for consumers... capitalism 101