Dealing with sight loss, already, is a challenge in itself. However, those in the blind and low-vision community face new challenges navigating a world with COVID-19.
“Vision loss is a disability of access, it disconnects you from the environment around you,”, said Daniel Norris, supervisor of adult services with the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. “Statistically, studies have shown that you have higher rates of depression among people who are visually impaired.”
Looking to help this community reconnect and navigate this new world, Envision Glasses are technology that use the power of next generation technology to make everyday life more accessible for any visual impairment. “Our mission is to improve the lives of the world’s two billion people who are blind or visually impaired by providing them with life-changing assistive technologies, products and services,” said Karthik Kannan, co-founder of Envision.
Envision Glasses in combination with software utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) to extract info from images and subsequently speaks the images out loud so the users has to a better understanding of the environments around him or her.
Text Recognition
The Envision Glasses allow the blind or visually impaired to read documents at home or work, view labels or even read books. For those whose first language is not English, these glasses have the ability to read text in over 60 languages with an automatic language detection feature.
What is amazing about the Envision Glasses goes beyond text recognition. Visual enablers including,
- Color description – the ability to detect and describe colors in front of them.
- Money recognition – the AI also can recognize and identify bank note denomination,
- Scan and find specific objects – great for shopping
- People finder – recognize your friends, colleagues and family.
Video Calling
During the pandemic, it has been extremely challenging for the visually impaired to communicate while being socially isolated. For most people, getting on a video call has been very easy to do. However, video calling is not always visually accessible for all. Envision Glasses have a direct video calling feature to a friend or family member. Users can add a list of their close friends and family members as an Ally through the app. The friends and family can then receive the video call through a free companion app called Envision Ally, just as they would receive a FaceTime or WhatsApp call.
Features and Specifications
- Weight: ~46g (pod)
- Camera: 8-MP camera with a wide field-of-view
- Display: 640×360 Optical Display Module.
- Connectivity: Wifi and Bluetooth 5.x
- Memory & Storage: 3GB LPDDR4 / 32GB eMMC Flash
- Microphones: 3 beam-forming microphones
- Battery:
– 5-6 hours with regular usage.
– USB-C supported fast charging - Audio: Directional Mono Speaker
- Other: Water and Dust resistant
- Features: Object Recognition, Color Detection, Light Detection, Scan and Export Text
For more information or to acquire the: Envision Glasses
About Envision
Envision builds assistive tech and services to help more of us navigate everyday information for ourselves. By harnessing the power of AI, Envision products enable anyone with low or no vision to interact with the world around them, on their own terms
