New AI-glasses, purpose-built for deaf people, are about to hit the market. And hearing folks can benefit too! It’s like living in the metaverse, but the metaverse is the actual real world.
Called XRAI Glass, these glasses allow deaf people to understand in real-time what people are saying. It does this by displaying subtitles to real-life conversations on the inside of the glasses being worn.
Users can also rewind conversations. Imagine couples after a fight, forever rewinding to prove they were right.
The best thing about these glasses seems to be that one doesn’t need to be directly looking at the speaker to catch everything they say. This is an absolute game-changer. Imagine preparing dinner and being able to listen to someone talk at the same time!
To get going, users simply buy the glasses, download the XRAI app, and plug the glasses into their phone. And then they can enjoy the world like anyone would enjoy a subtitled foreign film.
The software was developed after its CEO, Dan Scarfe, noticed his grandfather’s increasing isolation as he lost his hearing. He said, “There was just a little epiphany moment where I thought, well hang on a second. He watches TV all the time with subtitles on. Why can’t we subtitle the world?”
New AI glasses and beta phase
Turning live captioning into augmented reality is a powerful tool for people who are hard of hearing. Now, they don’t have to solely rely on lip reading or reading sign language. The whole paradigm could change.
The smart glasses are still in beta, but they can already recognise who’s speaking, and will soon be able to translate languages, tones and accents!
If vision is also impaired, there is an AI solution for that too. Inserts made by a company called Nreal provide prescription lenses that enhance the immersive viewing experience.
The future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades. And these shades are definitely worth wearing.
