Technology

Google’s AI-Powered Smart Glasses Spells Good News for the Visually Impaired

4 Mins read

Google’s AI-Powered Smart Glasses Spells Good News for the Visually Impaired. As we perceive the world around us in all its splendid glory, we often take our visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile senses for granted. However, those lacking one or more of these faculties or even a slight weakening, acutely feel their importance as the challenge ends up obstructing most of their life’s ambitions.  

As per data by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), 29% of the world’s population is visually challenged i.e. 253 million individuals, among whom 36 million are completely blind. 

So wouldn’t it be spectacular if this lot could access the world just like everyone does with the help of a sophisticated gadget? We have our answer In Google Glass, which is set to revive with Envision’s AI software. 

The Tragedy of Google Glass

Google Glass has been one of the most innovative gadgets ever released, but it was a surprising flop. Not that its features and functions failed to offer any value, rather inadequate marketing contributed to its demise. 

The Glass innovators failed to relay how the product could be of use to the users and validate it, based on the assumption that the most hyped-up technology will sell itself. 

The creators themselves were baffled about the product’s core usage; some declared it a fashionable accessory, while others endorsed it for specific functions. So the consumers didn’t deem the product capable of solving any of their real-world problems apart from scrolling through the internet and snapping pictures with a two-three hour battery life. 

Plus, the clunky design did not help its widespread adoption either. Eventually, the product was discontinued despite its innovativeness. So the announcing by Envision comes as a pleasant surprise, particularly when the gadget stands to deliver cardinal value to the visually challenged target market. 

Breathing New Life into Google Glass

At the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference this year, the Dutch startup, Envision, brought in glad tidings when they declared that their Artificial Intelligence (AI) software is going to breathe new life into the previously flatlined, Google Glass.  

This fantastic fusion of Google Glass and Envision’s tech is going to make lives easier for the visually impaired as they experience and interact with the world around them with significantly more freedom than ever. 

How Envision Helps

Envision’s software is powered by AI, which quickly and accurately extracts information from images and conveys the following information aloud to the user, so the users learn and understand the world around them with the support of the technology.

It’s Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is unparalleled in terms of speed and accuracy, as it reads everything, regardless of the type of writing surface, from computer screens to paper. 

On top of that, the software can discern colors on clothes, walls, objects, etc. Identifies objects around you.  Recognize faces in your vicinity, and informs you of the presence of your friends and family near you. Scan multi-page complex documents via audio-guided edge detection along with reading letters, lists, postcards, and anything that is written in legible handwriting.  Quickly scan QR, barcodes, and item packaging, and speaks out the details. Describe visual scenes for the user. In addition, the software assists you with sharing images on social media on your phone as it describes each image and the text within it. 

Moreover, Envision is quite far-reaching than any other software available as it identifies scripts and information in more than 60 languages. 

Armed with all these capabilities, Envision is creating a world of difference for people by not letting their blindness and low-vision interfere with their activities, goals, and ambitions all across the globe. Users can perform virtually any task without an ounce of outside assistance and the experience is as fantastically seamless as that of Spectrum Fort Worth Customer Service if you are fortunate enough to have their internet services. 

The AI-Augmented Google Glass

The integration of the AI software and Google smart glasses offers hands-free and inconspicuous assistance to the wearer. Previously, Envision AI was available to the users via the iOS and Android phone app. It even won an award at the 2019 Google Play Awards for the Best Accessibility App. 

The Envision Glasses does away with the hassle of holding up the smartphone and scanning items, instead, the donned gadget relays all the information out loud via the Glass’ built-in speaker. Moreover, it supports wired and Bluetooth wireless headphones so the wearer could be relayed the information directly into their ears, rather than through the speaker. 

The core Glass’ features are the same from the standard Glass Enterprise Edition 2, which includes a substantial processing power via Snapdragon XR1 chip with a 1.7GHz speed with four cores, an 8MP Camera, an eight-hour battery life with fast charge, a USB-C connector for wired headphones, Wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a multi-touch gesture touchpad at the side. 

Moreover, Envision deems the Glass’ screen as unnecessary as the user essentially relies on the camera, speaker, processor, and touchpad.

How Much Does it Cost?

With all the heavy features included, the price tag is supposed to be even heavier i.e. € 1,899 EUR. 

A discounted offer is offered in its Super Early Bird Package for a limited time, in which is priced at € 1,499 EUR. In the Early Bird Package, the price stands at € 1,699 EUR.

In Essence

The Envision Glasses are a game-changer for those challenged with visual impairment as it empowers them in ways previously unmatched. 

The price tag may be too lavish for most, but it is more than worth it.  Besides, it wouldn’t be long before the availability of this form of the assistive gadget is common as more competitors rush to offer better value to the users. 

Author Bio
When you love what you do, you don’t work, you have fun, which is why even after 8 years in business, I wake up excited every day. A writer by passion and a digital marketer at heart, my sole purpose is to create and help businesses achieve their full potential. When I am not living the dream, you can find me binge-watching a season with my Spectrum Internet. Or I am hanging out with my friends (which I have aplenty)

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