Last year, Microsoft revealed an App called Seeing AI which gives assistance to the visually impaired or people who have trouble seeing day-to-day activities. The app is now officially available for iOS devices although there is no word yet on an Android version.
Microsoft developed a system that can add captions to a user’s selfie and can even try to guess a person’s age. The tech giant has decided to take this type of technology and applied to a more useful tool.
The Seeing AI app is more than welcome for the Blind so it can make their lives much easier.
What does Seeing AI can do for the visually impaired?
When the app is launched, the user only needs to point and hold their iPhone to a certain level so that the camera may see what the user wants it to see.
The app will now be able to identify the people around you, what their emotions are and even tell how old the user’s companion is. The Seeing AI is able to recognize a person’s facial expressions. In the video below, the app was able to tell a smiling woman that she was a happy-looking 28-year-old female.
In addition, the app can also read text documents for the user. Seeing AI can take an image of a document and speak out the words that are written on the document. The app will guide the user so it can take an image of the document perfectly and all the text are captured.
The app can also scan a barcode of an item and identify what the product is. The app guides its user point the device to a product by sending out beeps so the user may know how close the device is to the product.
Other features of the Seeing AI app by Microsoft
Microsoft has plans to add more features into the app. The Seeing AI app currently has an experimental feature that can describe a certain scene.
Also, the app will be able to identify which currency the user is using just by looking at the bill.
Moreover, Facebook also tried this type of technology to benefit the blind. The social media giant made significant improvements to its automatic alt text feature so it may describe photos more accurately.
Microsoft’s latest app is now available for iOS devices in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and India.
Check out its video below and see for yourself.
What do you think of the Seeing AI app for the visually impaired? What other features would you like to see on the app? Let us know in the comment section down below and don’t forget to like and share this article.
