OpenGlass project shows Google Glass for the visually impaired

We have seen some interesting use cases for Google Glass, but it seems to safe to think that we have yet to see them live up to what they are truly capable of doing. That true capability can be a variety of things and will likely vary from person to person. But with that in mind, the folks at OpenGlass have recently shown what Google Glass can mean for the visually impaired.

As we have seen from the OpenGlass team in the past, this means a video demonstration. In this case the video is roughly 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Perhaps more important though, it gives solid examples using a Twitter-based question and answer as well as a tour using Memento. The Twitter question and answer is maybe the simpler of the two. With this the Glass user would take a picture of an item and in return they are told what they are holding/looking at.

The answer comes back by way of an audio reply that is sent through the bone-conducting speaker on Glass. The process is just about the same as any Glass process would be and begins with the “Share with OpenGlass” command. From here the user asks their question, which in this case refers to what is on the box (and in the can). And in return, they get the answer. Simple and seemingly rather useful.

The other side here comes with Memento. In this case the details would need to be set up in advance. The video offers a look at the sighted person creating and describing the scene. Once that has been competed the visually impaired person tours the room and is able to know what items are in front of them. Plus, there is also the option to give additional information about any items or objects shown. Overall the process seems rather smooth, though it does say the recognition process takes about two seconds.

Bottom line here, while this video demo offered a brief tour around the workshop, this could prove to be useful in a wide variety of locations. Otherwise, aside from this video offering the question and answer demos, this is actually a follow up to a “Glass Applications for Visually Impaired Users” video that was released by OpenGlass a few weeks earlier.