The landscape of independent living for persons with blindness is constantly evolving, thanks to incredible advancements in technology. Among the most impactful innovations are AI-powered applications that offer a range of visual assistance. We've previously discussed how an application like Be My Eyes connects users with sighted volunteers and AI, bringing a human touch to everyday visual tasks. But another groundbreaking application that has garnered significant attention is Seeing AI, developed by Microsoft. Today, let's explore how these two powerful tools compare in their utility and features, and how they contribute to making the world more accessible.
Be My Eyes, as many know, stands out for its unique community-driven approach. Its core strength lies in connecting a visually impaired user with a sighted volunteer via live video call. This real-time human connection allows for a vast array of tasks, from checking expiry dates on food items, reading labels, navigating new environments, to identifying colors or small objects. The beauty of Be My Eyes is the spontaneity and versatility that comes with human interaction. It's about getting contextual assistance for unique, often nuanced visual queries that an automated system might struggle with. The recent integration of AI further enhances this by providing instant AI assistance for common queries, complementing the human volunteer network.
Enjoying your read so far? Please consider supporting THE SOMEBODY, NOBODY, ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY BLOG! by visiting our LOVE page!
On the other hand, Seeing AI takes a different, yet equally powerful, approach. This application leverages artificial intelligence directly on your device to perform a multitude of visual recognition tasks instantly. Its features are remarkably diverse: it can read short text instantly as you point your phone at it, recognize and describe people, identify currency denominations, scan product barcodes to read descriptions, describe scenes, detect light, and even read handwriting. Seeing AI excels in providing quick, private, and consistent information without needing an internet connection for many of its core functionalities. It's like having a personal AI assistant in your pocket, ready to provide immediate descriptions of the world around you.
Comparing Be My Eyes and Seeing AI isn't necessarily about declaring one superior to the other; rather, it's about recognizing their complementary strengths. Be My Eyes offers the invaluable human element and the ability to ask follow-up questions for complex scenarios, making it perfect for tasks requiring nuanced interpretation or interaction. Seeing AI, conversely, provides unparalleled speed, privacy, and consistency for a wide range of common visual recognition tasks, making it ideal for quick scans of documents, currency, or environmental awareness. Both applications empower individuals with blindness in distinct yet equally significant ways, pushing the boundaries of independent living. Having both in one's toolkit can truly cover almost any visual information need.
What are your thoughts on these applications, or perhaps others that have made a difference in your independent living journey? Share your experiences in the comments below.
If you haven't subscribed yet to THE SOMEBODY, NOBODY, ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY BLOG!, please do so by filling out your email ID in the Subscribe by Email form and clicking on submit. (Check your INBOX OR JUNK folder for the subscription confirmation email.)
Help support the causes that The Somebody, Nobody, Anybody and Everybody Blog supports!
Billion Strong | NVDA | EYEWAY | GAAD | Society for the Empowerment of DeafBlind
Be awesome: Support The Somebody, Nobody, Anybody and Everybody Blog!:
by visiting our Show your LOVE page. Thank you for your support!
Be awesome: Like what you read? Share it!:
disclosure statement: All posts on THE SOMEBODY, NOBODY, ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY BLOG! originate from the unique ideas and pure thoughts of our authors. While Gemini AI assists with content editing and writing to enhance readability, the core insights and opinions remain exclusively those of the author(s). Our intention is to foster healthy discussions on the topics shared, inviting robust engagement from our readers.
My husband and I use Be My Eyes. I prefer to talk to a human.
ReplyDeleteThanks for another amazing blog post! Yes, both of these apps are used a lot on my ioS device. Seeing AI in particular comes in very useful when I need to read Windows error messages, Or providing my own tech support, I haven't called my ISP in 14 years for example. Be My Eyes also is fantastic, It can now be used via the Meta glasses, Awsome way to connect with sighted help. Looking forward to the next narrative.
ReplyDelete