Seeing AI

Blog 13 – 2.6 Challenge – 26 blog posts over 26 days…

I am halfway through my blogathon and have raised £62.86 to date. Considering the aim was to raise £26.20 I’m pretty happy. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far.

This post will focus on the app Seeing AI. It is free to download and has some great features designed to enhance the lives of the visually impaired. To access the different channels you swipe up with one finger if you are using it in conjunction with Voice Over on an IOS device.

Short Text
The first channel reads out short text. You hover your camera over what you want it to read out. I have found it useful to check who a letter is addressed to and when my screen reader freezes on my laptop.

Document
For longer pieces of text you can use the document channel. This is handy for reading post. Again you hover the camera and it will let you know if all edges of the page are visible before snapping a photo and converting the text.

Product
The third channel enables you to access barcodes on food products to discover what they are. I sometimes find this channel a little temperamental. You move the camera over the product and it emits audible pips to relay how close you are to a barcode. Once it sounds a long pip it means you have found the barcode and it takes a picture. I most need to use it on tins and perhaps because they are not a flat surface it is more difficult for the barcode to be detected.

Person
This channel is a little novel. It is face recognition. You can save images of people on the app and then take a photo of them in person mode. It will then tell you who they are. I think simply asking would be more effective.

Currency
Wave the camera over the money and Seeing AI will inform you of the denomination. Good for sorting notes out in your purse or wallet. Although money is becoming more accessible with the tactile markings these days for British pounds. It can recognise British pounds, Euros, US dollars, Canadian dollars, Indian rupees and Japanese yen.

Scene Preview
The accuracy of this one is somewhat questionable. I am currently writing in the garden and used the app to describe my surroundings. It says there is probably a little girl lying in the grass. The little girl is retired Guide Dog Calvin. Oh well.

Colour Preview
The channel is a colour detector. Again the accuracy isn’t perfect. Nevertheless it helps with identifying the colour of clothes so you can dress how you please.

Handwriting Preview
Like the short text feature, but to access handwriting instead. With a hover of the camera you can read greetings cards or that handwritten note.

Light
The final channel is a light detector. Listen and learn. Point the camera in the direction you wish to know the level of light. Depending on the brightness a different pitch will sound. You could use it when you are feeling too lazy to check if you have left a light on in a room or are not sure if you have opened the curtains.

Browse Photos
This feature is accessed from the main menu rather than the channel screen. It allows you to view your photo library and have Seeing AI describe each image. I find it the feature I use the most. We live in a very photographic world and therefore there are always photos on social media that I long to know what they are. Regularly photos are shots of text that a screen reader can’t access as it is in image form.

One app, so many features and all for free. Technology can be a wonderful thing.

I am taking part in the 2.6 Challenge to help save our UK charities. If you enjoyed my blog post or are feeling generous please consider donating as little as £1 to support my chosen charities: The Norrie Disease Foundation, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Look UK, RNIB and Girl Guiding UK. You can find my fundraising page by clicking here

Thank you and stay safe x