App that narrates the world for blind

New York, July 13

Tech giant Microsoft has released an iPhone app, including in India, that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help the blind and visually impaired see world around them like never before.

The free ‘Seeing AI’ app can read out short snippets of text, describe people, identify products and currency denominations, and take a stab at identifying the objects in a person’s surroundings.

Using a smartphone camera or a pair of camera-equipped smart glasses, the app can identify things in your environment — people, objects, and even emotions — to provide important context for what is going on around you.

It is a Microsoft research project that brings together power of cloud and AI to deliver an intelligent app, designed to help you navigate your day, Microsoft said. The app relies on iPhone camera, backed by Microsoft’s machine-learning and image-recognition algorithms, Seattle Times reported. It is available in the US, Canada, India, New Zealand and Hong Kong. — PTI