Microsoft has expanded its accessibility offerings with the Seeing AI app now available on the Android platform. The tech giant has thus increased the potential user base by billions, as Android users globally can now access the app's features.
Announced as a prototype and launched in 2017, Microsoft Seeing AI The smartphone app uses computer vision to give visually impaired users a description of their surroundings and environment. The app has previously only been available on iOS.
Once downloaded, users point their iPhone camera at a person and let the AI take over. The app will say who the person is and their current emotion. Seeing AI will also work on items, such as products. In this instance, the app will tell the users what the product is. With LiDAR support on iOS, it also now names objects and distances.
Tech Innovation for Accessibility
The Android version of Seeing AI includes a suite of features designed to assist users in navigating daily tasks. The app leverages the device's camera to provide real-time information about the user's environment. These functionalities encompass a wide array of tasks such as currency identification, reading of handwritten notes, and detailed descriptions of scenes. Additionally, the app introduces a conversational aspect, allowing users to interact with documents and obtain specific information, like prices on a receipt.
One of the app's primary functions is the Short Text feature, which audibly reads out text as it appears before the camera. The Document channel provides concise audio instructions for capturing printed pages and reads the content aloud while exemplifying its original formatting. The app can also recognize and provide detailed information about products through barcode scanning.
Users can also explore captured scenes with an expanded rich description by tapping the ‘more info' option. Furthermore, Seeing AI can recognize friends and acquaintances, identify colors, decipher handwritten text, and provide auditory feedback on the lighting conditions in the user's surroundings. Sharing an image to Seeing AI from other apps enables the recognition of photos outside of the app.
Global Impact and Availability
The inclusion of Seeing AI on Android has the potential to impact significantly the global blind and low-vision community. The app's roll out to Android effectively introduces its capabilities to more than 3 billion smartphone users who use this operating system. Presently supporting 18 languages, Microsoft plans to further accessibility by extending language support to 36 in 2024.
Seeing AI's transition to Android signifies an important stride in Microsoft's ongoing commitment to make technology more accessible. The app is now freely available on Google Play, offering new levels of independence and convenience to a broader audience than ever before. Users can download and start experiencing the benefits of Seeing AI immediately as it narrates the visual world through an advanced AI interface.
