AI-powered glasses that read, recognize faces, objects given to kids
AIIMS just handed out AI-powered Smart Vision Glasses to 53 visually impaired people—28 kids and 25 adults—completely free.
This is part of Project Drishti, which aims to make life easier for India's huge blind community.
The glasses were built by SHG Technologies with support from Rotary and Vision Aid, and usually cost ₹35,000 each.
They can read text in several Indian languages
Weighing just 53gm, the glasses pack a LIDAR sensor, a wide-angle camera, and Bluetooth audio for real-time voice help.
They can read text in several Indian languages, recognize faces (up to 150!), spot objects around you, detect obstacles while walking, identify currency notes, share your location on WhatsApp in emergencies—and even have braille-coded controls.
A study on its impact
A study (no publication year given in the source) found that 100% of participants were able to access all the functions.
72.9% reported a positive experience with the reading function, followed by object recognition.
For many visually impaired people, these glasses could mean more independence and better access to everyday information—a pretty big deal!