New service makes it easy for blind people to access visual interpreting services hands-free
A new integrated assistive technology service is designed to give people with low vision or blindness a seamless hands-free video call experience with easy access to human-to-human visual interpreting.
Assistive technology specialist Envision is partnering with Aira, a provider of visual interpreting services, to add the live, professional service to the smart Envision Glasses.
The integration of these assistive technology services enables Envision Glasses users with an Aira account to effortlessly place hands-free video calls to Aira Agents.
Envision Glasses use AI to extract different kinds of information from images and then speaks the images out loud, enabling blind and low-vision users to read documents at work, recognise their friends, find personal belongings at home, use public transportation, and more.
Aira is a live human-to-human professional assistance service for people who are blind or have low vision. Using the powerful combination of a camera and the Aira app on someone’s device of choice, a trained agent will assist by visually interpreting what is in the camera’s view or shared on screen.
The new partnership means that Aira users no longer have to rely on chest harnesses to mount their mount mobile devices for a hands-free experience.
Envision Glasses offer Aira Agents a unique field of view from the user’s perspective, with the panning and pointing of the camera happening at eye level and natural head movement directing them toward what is of interest.
For Envision Glasses users, the integration with the Aira service provides access to 24/7 professional visual interpreting for many tasks at home, work or when on the move. This addition of Aira to the Envision Glasses strengthens Envision’s Ally video call feature, which enables clients to make video calls to chosen family members and friends.
Troy Otillio, CEO of Aira Tech Corp, commented: “This partnership provides people who are blind or have low vision with the ultimate technology and productivity tool to enhance independence and personal productivity as never before.”
The integration enables new levels of efficiency and ease of use to power many popular experiences already in play.
For example, the integration makes it easier for workplace independence with on-demand assistance with computer-related tasks, inaccessible documents, describing inaccessible materials like charts and graphs, and navigating to different building areas.
It also enhances personal independence with objective assistance with anything personal or time-sensitive where enlisting a friend or family member is not desired or not possible.
The Aira partnership comes as Envision announces Envision Enterprise, a dedicated division that focuses on working with leading organisations and low-vision and blind workforces to enable greater inclusion and independence in the workplace.
Earlier this year, Envision announced a raft of upgrades to its smart glasses for enhanced accessibility, including improved text reading with contextual intelligence.