László Kozma

Narrator camera for blind people [more ideas]

This one would be obviously useful, but the technology might not be quite ready yet. A system consisting of a camera that can be mounted on a person's head, a computer with sound output. A tool for people who can't see: camera points where person turns head, tells what is visible in scene. At a minimum, it should be able to read street signs, warn for walls, stairs, etc. Could narrate about colors, people, etc...

Obviously wouldn't replace existing navigation methods, especially if it isn't 100% error-free, but it would be a useful tool to make people's life easier.

I am skeptical though: if current technology can't even decipher CAPTCHAs, short text snippets that have been artificially distorted, how could it read arbitrary text in real-world scenes.

The system could however just report on characteristics of the image it obtains, edges it founds, the dominant colors seen, the speed of moving objects, etc. With some learning, this could help blind people build a more precise mental image of the surrounding world.