How does AiSee work?
AiSee comprises three key components:
(1) The eye: Vision engine computer software
AiSee incorporates a micro-camera that captures the user’s field of view. This forms the software component of AiSee, also referred to as the ‘vision engine computer’. The software is capable of extracting features such as text, logos, and labels from the captured image for processing.
(2) The brain: AI-powered image processing unit and interactive Q&A system
After the user snaps a photo of the object of interest, AiSee utilises sophisticated cloud-based AI algorithms to process and analyse the captured images to identify the object. The user can also ask a range of questions to find out more about the object.
AiSee employs advanced text-to-speech and speech-to-text recognition and processing technology to identify objects and comprehend the user’s queries. Powered by a large language model, AiSee excels in interactive question-and-answer exchanges, enabling the system to accurately comprehend and respond to the user’s queries in a prompt and informative manner.
Compared to most wearable assistive devices which require smartphone pairing, AiSee operates as a self-contained system that can function independently without the need for any additional devices.
(3) The speaker: Bone conduction sound system
The headphone of AiSee utilises bone conduction technology, which enables sound transmission through the bones of the skull. This ensures that individuals with visual impairment can effectively receive auditory information while still having access to external sounds, such as conversations or traffic noise. This is particularly vital for visually impaired people as environmental sounds provide essential information for decision-making, especially in situations involving safety considerations.
“At present, visually impaired people in Singapore do not have access to assistive AI technology of this level of sophistication. Therefore, we believe that AiSee has the potential to empower visually impaired people to independently accomplish tasks that currently require assistance. Our next step is to make AiSee affordable and accessible to the masses. To achieve this, we are making further enhancements, including a more ergonomic design and a faster processing unit,” explained Assoc Prof Nanayakkara.
NUS student Mark Myres, who helped to test AiSee as a visually impaired user, commented, “A lot of time, assistive devices seem very targeted at totally blind people or visually impaired people. I think AiSee is a good balance. Both visually impaired and blind people could get a lot of benefits from this.”
Wanda Parisien is a computing expert who navigates the vast landscape of hardware and software. With a focus on computer technology, software development, and industry trends, Wanda delivers informative content, tutorials, and analyses to keep readers updated on the latest in the world of computing.
