Hi everyone, Thought this might be interesting to read.
> > https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/25/innovations-ai-backpack-blind/ > > <https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/25/innovations-ai-backpack-blind/> > > Researchers design an AI-powered backpack for the visually impaired > > Artificial intelligence researchers hope the bag will one day replace canes > and guide dogs > > Dalvin Brown <https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/dalvin-brown/>March 25, > 2021 at 9:00 a.m. EDT > > Researchers at the University of Georgia created an AI-powered backpack to > help visually impaired people navigate the outside world. (Intel) > Among the latest iterations of next-generation assistive accessories is a > backpack powered by Intel’s artificial intelligence software. It’s designed > to audibly alert wearers when they’re approaching possibly hazardous > situations like crosswalks or strangers. > > The backpack, which has yet to be named, was revealed Wednesday but could > face years of development before a consumer-ready version is launched. Still, > the product offers a glimpse at what a future could look like as progress in > AI and machine learning increasingly help people with vision issues better > perceive their environments and, therefore, live more independently. > > The backpack was created by researchers at the University of Georgia, who > took existing computer vision techniques and combined them into a system that > seeks to replace the need for a cane or guide dog. > > Irony was really the driving force behind the idea, according to Jagadish K. > Mahendran, the lead researcher at the University of Georgia who also > specializes in computer vision for robots. > > What's next for wheelchairs? Maybe autonomy. > <https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/19/smart-wheelchairs/?itid=lk_interstitial_manual_11> > “I met with my visually impaired friend, and she was describing problems to > me that she faces daily. And I was struck: For the past few years, I’ve been > teaching robots how to see things while there are people who cannot see > things and need help,” Mahendran said. > > There’s nothing outwardly special about the backpack’s design: It looks like > an ordinary gray knapsack with a small computer, such as a laptop, inside. A > match-box-sized GPS unit is affixed to the outside. > > In a demonstration video, the user also wears a vest with tiny holes to > conceal an embedded AI camera. When connected to the computer, the 4K camera > captures depth and color information used to help people avoid things like > hanging branches. The camera can also be embedded in a fanny pack or other > waist-worn pouches. > > The spatial camera, built by the computer vision company Luxonis, can read > signs, detect crosswalks and see coming changes in elevation. > > Bluetooth earphones allow the user to communicate with the system and vice > versa. So the wearer can ask out loud for location information, and the > system will tell them where they are. If the camera spots a threat like an > incoming pedestrian, it can tell the wearer. > > It’s too soon to know how much such a device would cost consumers, but > several start-ups and organizations are working to solve the same issues, and > the tech doesn’t come cheap. > > WeWALK’s smart cane with obstacle detection sells for $600, 10 times as much > as an ordinary white cane. OrCam MyEye Pro, a wireless smart camera that > reads what’s in front of you, runs $4,250. > > Social media has upped its accessibility game. But deaf creators say it has a > long way to go. > <https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/15/social-media-accessibility-captions/?itid=lk_interstitial_manual_24> > Researchers at the University of Georgia went with a backpack design because > it would help visually impaired people avoid unwanted attention. They used > Intel’s Movidius computing chip because it was small and powerful enough to > run advanced AI functions with low latency. > > The next step is to raise funds and expand testing. They hope to one day > unleash an open-source, AI-based, visual-assistance system. The researchers > have formed a team called Mira, made up of some visually impaired volunteers. > > “We want this solution to be inclusive and as transparent as possible,” > Mahendran said. “Our main motto is to increase the involvement of visually > impaired people in their daily activities and reduce their dependency on > others.” -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at [email protected] The archives for this list can be searched at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. 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