Project Overview
Through AEyes, I aim to leverage the affordances of modern technology, positioning this device as a means to profoundly enhance the quality of life and understanding of the environment for people with sensory limitations. 3
“Comfortable, wearable sensors and computers will enhance every person’s awareness of his or her health condition, environment, concerning potential hazards [...] Roco and Bainbridge, 2002, 5.” By leveraging existing artificial intelligence models to interpret and vocalize visual information, the project seeks to provide a new dimension of perception for those whose experience of the world is constrained by visual acuity loss or color blindness. “For people with visual impairments, who do not always need the visual display of a mobile phone, alternative means of eyes-free wearable interaction are particularly appealing Ye, 2014, 1.”
The (A)Eyes assistant was designed at the confluence of rapidly evolving technological landscapes. AI has potential benefits when it comes to “automation of cognitive tasks such as categorization, perception, and problem-solving Lee, 2022, 2”. We should still be aware of the long-term consequences of depending on AI for one’s perception. This is a relatively new technology, and research is being conducted on a daily basis to understand it. As society progresses into a hybrid digital-physical world, the potential to augment traditional sensory boundaries through technological means is worth exploring. This project has two main objectives: leveraging cutting-edge technological advancements to augment human senses and addressing the pressing needs of individuals with sensory limitations.
There are approximately six million Americans with vision loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This constraints to their ability to perceive and interact with their surroundings fully. By leveraging artificial sensing of the environment, we can potentially enhance their understanding of their surroundings. “We use the term artificial sensing to refer generally to research in the use of artificial devices to detect and identify objects at a distance, from information or images collected by various sensing devices such as video or photographic cameras Warren and Strelow, 2013, 8.” AEyes seeks to not only provide a compensatory mechanism for sensory limitations, but to extend sensory perception of the world around us. This approach is grounded in the belief that technology can and should be leveraged to solve everyday life problems.