We previously reported on Seeing AI, an app which describes the world for the visually impaired. At the time, the app was only available in the United States, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore, but Microsoft yesterday announced its release in the UK.
Unveiled at Microsoft’s AI Summit in London in July, Seeing AI is an ongoing research project for Microsoft The release comes at a time when more than two million people in the UK live with sight loss, something which was very important for Saqib Shaikh, who lead the development of the app in the UK.
“Since launching Seeing AI, it’s been amazing to see how people with visual impairments have been using the app to increase their independence, and we are excited to bring the app to the UK – my home country…At Microsoft, we aim to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, and Seeing AI achieves this in a very real sense…As someone who is visually impaired, this has become a key tool in my daily life, and I look forward to others in the UK benefitting from it, too”
Seeing AI can speak text as soon as it appears in front of the camera, and can also provide audio guidance to capture a printed page. Other features of the app include: scanning barcodes, saving peoples faces, hearing a description of a scene, and describing images from other apps such as Mail, Photos, Twitter, and more. Interested parties can download the app by checking the link below.
