Seeing AI

Q&A

What is Seeing AI?

Seeing AI is a free productivity application developed by Microsoft Corporation. It serves as a visual aid for the blind and low vision community, harnessing the power of AI to describe the visual world. The application is designed to assist with a variety of daily tasks, by narrating the environment around the user through their device.

How does Seeing AI work?

Seeing AI works by using artificial intelligence and the device's camera to interpret the environment. It can speak text that appears in front of the camera, recognize printed text along with its original formatting, scan barcodes to provide product information, describe scenes, recognize and remember people's faces, identify different currency notes, identify colors and read handwritten text. It also has the ability to recognize light levels in its surroundings.

What features does Seeing AI provide for text recognition?

Seeing AI provides two main features for text recognition: 'Short Text' and 'Documents'. The 'Short Text' feature instantly speaks text as soon as it appears in front of the camera. This is useful for reading labels, signs, or other small pieces of text. The 'Documents' feature provides audio guidance to capture a printed page and recognizes the text, maintaining the original formatting.

How does Seeing AI's Document feature work?

The 'Documents' feature of Seeing AI guides the user to capture a good image of a page by providing audio instructions. Once the text is captured, the AI recognizes and reads it aloud, maintaining its original formatting. This allows the user to easily locate the information they need from documents.

What is the function of the 'Products' feature in Seeing AI?

The 'Products' feature in Seeing AI is designed to provide information about products scanned by the user. It works by scanning the barcode or Accessible QR codes of a product and, where available, provides the user with the product's name and package information.

Can Seeing AI describe the scene around me?

Yes, Seeing AI has a 'Scenes' feature that can describe the scene around you. The app uses artificial intelligence to provide an overall description of the scene captured by the camera. For a more detailed description, the user can tap 'More Info' or move their finger over the screen to hear the location of different objects.

How does Seeing AI recognize and remember people?

Seeing AI uses its 'People' feature to recognize and remember people. The feature stores individuals' facial features, allowing the app to recognize them in future interactions. In addition, it can provide an estimate of a person's age, gender, and emotional state.

What currencies can Seeing AI identify?

Seeing AI is equipped with a 'Currency' function that allows it to identify different currency notes, helping visually impaired or blind users to manage their money.

Can Seeing AI identify colors?

Yes, Seeing AI can identify colors. The 'Color' feature uses the device's camera and AI technology to recognize and verbalize the color it captures.

Can Seeing AI recognize and read handwriting?

Seeing AI can recognize and read handwritten text thanks to its 'Handwriting' feature. This ability is particularly useful for reading handwritten notes or greeting cards.

How does Seeing AI assess light levels?

Seeing AI includes a 'Light' function, which generates an audible tone corresponding to the brightness level in the surroundings. This helps users to understand if they are in a light or dark environment.

Can I share images from other apps for Seeing AI to describe?

Yes, you can share images from other apps to Seeing AI for image description. Just tap 'Share' and 'Recognize with Seeing AI', and the app will describe the content of the images.

Does Seeing AI evolve based on user feedback and AI research?

Yes, Seeing AI constantly evolves based on user community feedback and advances in AI research. It's an ongoing research project, which means it continuously improves its features and introduces new ones based on user needs and AI advancements.

How does the barcode recognition feature in Seeing AI work?

The barcode recognition feature of Seeing AI works by scanning barcodes on products using the device's camera. It uses audio beeps to guide the user to the barcode. Upon successful scanning, the feature provides the name of the product and, where available, package information.

What are the limitations of Seeing AI?

The limitations of Seeing AI may include occasional incorrect detections or descriptions, potential issues with interpreting blurred or low-contrast images, and potentially less reliable performance in low lighting conditions without adjusting for the light level. Also, its ability to read handwritten text is available in a subset of languages.

What platforms support Seeing AI?

Seeing AI is available on iOS and Android platforms. It can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

How often is Seeing AI updated?

The update frequency of Seeing AI varies based on user feedback and ongoing AI research. The latest update listed on the Google Play Store is from March 27, 2024.

How reliable is the short text feature in Seeing AI?

The reliability of the 'Short Text' feature in Seeing AI may vary by context and image quality. It is designed to speak text as soon as it appears in front of the camera, making it efficient for real-time reading. However, some users report it sometimes produces nonsensical results or doesn't recognize letters.

Can Seeing AI be used by people with normal vision?

While Seeing AI is designed primarily for people in the blind and low-vision community, there's nothing to prevent it from being used by people with normal vision, especially for its text-to-speech reading features.

Does Seeing AI cost anything to use?

Seeing AI is a free application, there's no cost to download or use the app.