A team of students from University of Technology and Applied Sciences Shinas has developed a smart device aimed at improving the lives of the visually impaired. The innovative tool helps blind individuals with tasks such as recognising people and determining the date and time.
The group, consisting of Maha Abdullah al Dhahliya, Ala Said al Jabriya, Maysa Salim al Breikia and Nora Ali al Shehiya, identified the need for a practical, user-friendly solution to challenges frequently encountered by the visually impaired.
“Our objective was to develop a device that could ease the daily challenges faced by visually impaired individuals, particularly in recognising individuals,” team leader Maha said.
The result is a user-friendly, cost-effective and eco-friendly device. Powering it is a blend of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies. Its advanced facial recognition features utilise AI to identify and store information about individuals.
“By comparing a taken photo with stored images within the system, the user can identify the person with audio cues. Additionally, we’ve integrated an ultrasonic sensor and a buzzer to serve as an acoustic alarm for objects,” Maha informed.
The team’s pioneering efforts have been recognised locally. The compact and lightweight device was awarded ‘Best Project’ in the graduation projects category at the Oman Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence Competition.
“Our next step,” Maha said, “is to represent Oman at the Arab Challenge competition in Dubai in October. We aim to continue enhancing the device, introducing GPS services for location guidance via Google Maps, incorporating an AI-supported chatbot, ChatGPT to answer users’ inquiries, and installing a sixFab communication chip for telecommunication functionalities. These developments will further simplify the lives of visually impaired users.”
Source: https://www.muscatdaily.com/2023/08/30/shinas-student-team-develops-vision-assistive-smart-device/