Omani students at UTAS develop smart glasses to aid visually impaired
Users can engage in chat with the glasses to request assistance, enhancing their autonomy
Four students from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) in Shinas have developed smart glasses, which were tested and found to be greatly helpful for visually impaired to reduce their reliance on external assistance.
The project, titled ‘Virtual Intelligent Eye Vision (VIEV)’, has garnered attention for its innovative approach to supporting individuals with visual impairments.
The UTAS team - Alaa Saeed Abdullah al Jabri, Maisa Salem Ghareeb al Breiki, Maha Abdullah Saeed al Dhahli, and Noura Ali Mohammed al Shuhi - has also qualified for the World Summit on the Information Society 2024 (WSIS 2024) to be held in Geneva from May 27 to 31.
The global forum will be organised in collaboration with Unesco, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UNCTAD, among others.
In an interview with Muscat Daily, Alaa al Jabri shared insights into the project's inception, stating that development began in 2022. These smart glasses have various components such as camera, headphone, Raspberry Pi, ultrasonic sensor, Grovepi board, buzzer, and speaker.
These devices work in tandem to offer a range of functionalities tailored to assist visually impaired people in their daily lives.
“Among the features of the smart glasses are the ability to recognise people in front of the user, provide information on time and date, convert text into spoken words for reading books, and detect obstacles through alert sounds,” Alaa said.
Additionally, users can engage in chat with the glasses to request assistance, further enhancing their autonomy and convenience, she explained.
Despite the challenges such as scarcity of sensor devices and their high cost, as well as limitations in the Raspberry Pi’s processing power, the team persevered by adopting a modular programming approach. “This strategy allowed us to overcome technical constraints and ensure the functionality of each feature independently.”
Looking ahead, the team aims to integrate additional technologies such as GPS for navigation and database storage for tracking and safety purposes. These students envision leveraging AI technology to provide comprehensive and personalised responses to users’ inquiries, surpassing conventional human capabilities.
The project has undergone rigorous testing and has proven its effectiveness in various competitions, Alaa informed.
The team aspires for wider adoption of their innovation, seeking support from small and medium-sized enterprises and relevant authorities. “Our participation in the WSIS 2024 represents a significant milestone.”
To support their project’s nomination for the WSIS 2024, interested individuals can vote via the official website: WSIS 2024 Voting Portal.