Microsoft has launched its Seeing AI application on Android devices, now downloadable from the Google Play Store. The free app aims to help blind and low-vision individuals better understand their surroundings using their smartphone cameras and AI-supported narration, according to engadget.
Microsoft states that the Android app incorporates the company’s latest advancements in generative AI and has the same features as the iOS version. With over 3 billion Android users worldwide, the app has the potential to significantly improve many people’s quality of life.
The latest AI features were created with user feedback in mind. Microsoft notes that the app now offers more detailed descriptions of images. According to the report, Seeing AI will provide a brief summary of what the image depicts when the user taps the “more information” icon. The app will create a more detailed description of the image and can import photos from other apps as well.
Another recent feature, following user feedback, is the ability to ask questions about a scanned document. After scanning a document, users can ask Seeing AI questions about items like menu elements or prices on a bill. The app can also summarize a scanned article and offers voice guidance on how to scan a printed page.
Seeing AI offers users various other ways to comprehend their surroundings by pointing the camera at something or taking a photo. For example, the app will read a short piece of text as soon as the camera captures it. It can also scan barcodes and provide product information like names and details from the packaging, especially useful for handling medications.
In addition, the app assists in recognizing people (and their facial expressions), currency, colors, and brightness levels. It is even capable of reading handwritten text in some languages.
Seeing AI’s launch on Android coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The app is currently available in 18 languages: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian Bokmal, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. Microsoft plans to expand this to 36 languages by 2024.
