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Visual assistance

Seeing AI ✓

A talking camera for the blind

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Visual Aid Text Recognition Scan Document
More categories (4)
Barcode Recognition Scene Description Face Recognition Visual assistance
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Verdict

A quick read before you dig into the full page.

Best if
A talking camera for the blind
Skip if
Limited language support
Pick this when
Short Text tool

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Overview

Generated by ChatGPT

Seeing AI is a productivity application developed by Microsoft Corporation that serve as a visual aid for the blind and low vision community. The app narrates the world around the user using artificial intelligence technology.

The variety of tools it provides include: Short Text, which speaks any text that appears in front of the camera; Documents, a feature that scans and recognizes printed text with its original formatting; Products functionality that scans barcodes and provides information about the products; Scenes, an overall description of the scene captured; People, which recognizes and saves peoples faces; Currency, which identifies different currency notes; Colors, for color identification; and Handwriting, that reads handwritten text.

The app further provides a feature to recognize the light level in the surrounding by generating an audible tone. Users can share images from other apps to 'Recognize with Seeing AI' for image description.

This tool constantly evolves based on the user community feedback and advances in AI research.

Seeing AI website

Access & connections

Where you can use Seeing AI.

Platforms

Android

Capabilities

What this tool accepts, produces, and is strongest at.

Input

  • Image

Output

  • Audio

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Short Text tool
  • Original formatting recognition
  • Barcode scanning
  • Detailed scene description
  • Face saving feature
  • Currency identification
  • Color identification tool
  • Handwritten text reading
Show 19 more
  • Light level recognition
  • Share to Recognize
  • Community-driven evolution
  • Constant innovation
  • Text as soon as appears
  • Printed page capture
  • Package info in Products
  • Estimates age, gender
  • Reads handwriting in subset of languages
  • Brightness correspondence audible tone
  • Supports mail, photos
  • Ongoing research project
  • Rich description in Scenes
  • Ability to explore photo
  • Can identify saved faces
  • Offers tutorials
  • No data shared with third parties
  • No data collected
  • 14 new languages added

Cons

  • Dependent on light conditions
  • Inconsistent text recognition
  • Limited language support
  • Inaccurate age/gender estimates
  • Occasional nonsensical results
  • Data isn't encrypted
  • Data can't be deleted
  • Difficulties with out-of-focus text
Show 2 more
  • Issues recognizing handwritten text
  • Sometimes unresponsive to user feedback

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Releases 1

Initial release December 6, 2023 Current
Initial release of Seeing AI.

FAQ 12

What is Seeing AI?
Seeing AI is a free productivity application developed by Microsoft Corporation. It serves as a visual aid for the blind and low vision community, harnessing the power of AI to describe the visual world. The application is designed to assist with a variety of daily tasks, by narrating the environment around the user through their device.
How does Seeing AI work?
Seeing AI works by using artificial intelligence and the device's camera to interpret the environment. It can speak text that appears in front of the camera, recognize printed text along with its original formatting, scan barcodes to provide product information, describe scenes, recognize and remember people's faces, identify different currency notes, identify colors and read handwritten text. It also has the ability to recognize light levels in its surroundings.
What features does Seeing AI provide for text recognition?
Seeing AI provides two main features for text recognition: 'Short Text' and 'Documents'. The 'Short Text' feature instantly speaks text as soon as it appears in front of the camera. This is useful for reading labels, signs, or other small pieces of text. The 'Documents' feature provides audio guidance to capture a printed page and recognizes the text, maintaining the original formatting.
How does Seeing AI's Document feature work?
The 'Documents' feature of Seeing AI guides the user to capture a good image of a page by providing audio instructions. Once the text is captured, the AI recognizes and reads it aloud, maintaining its original formatting. This allows the user to easily locate the information they need from documents.
What is the function of the 'Products' feature in Seeing AI?
The 'Products' feature in Seeing AI is designed to provide information about products scanned by the user. It works by scanning the barcode or Accessible QR codes of a product and, where available, provides the user with the product's name and package information.
Can Seeing AI describe the scene around me?
Yes, Seeing AI has a 'Scenes' feature that can describe the scene around you. The app uses artificial intelligence to provide an overall description of the scene captured by the camera. For a more detailed description, the user can tap 'More Info' or move their finger over the screen to hear the location of different objects.
How does Seeing AI recognize and remember people?
Seeing AI uses its 'People' feature to recognize and remember people. The feature stores individuals' facial features, allowing the app to recognize them in future interactions. In addition, it can provide an estimate of a person's age, gender, and emotional state.
What currencies can Seeing AI identify?
Seeing AI is equipped with a 'Currency' function that allows it to identify different currency notes, helping visually impaired or blind users to manage their money.
Can Seeing AI identify colors?
Yes, Seeing AI can identify colors. The 'Color' feature uses the device's camera and AI technology to recognize and verbalize the color it captures.
Can Seeing AI recognize and read handwriting?
Seeing AI can recognize and read handwritten text thanks to its 'Handwriting' feature. This ability is particularly useful for reading handwritten notes or greeting cards.
How does Seeing AI assess light levels?
Seeing AI includes a 'Light' function, which generates an audible tone corresponding to the brightness level in the surroundings. This helps users to understand if they are in a light or dark environment.
Can I share images from other apps for Seeing AI to describe?
Yes, you can share images from other apps to Seeing AI for image description. Just tap 'Share' and 'Recognize with Seeing AI', and the app will describe the content of the images.
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