PeopleLens is a research project at Microsoft that helps the user stay aware of the locations and identities of the people around them, promoting richer and more spontaneous interactions.
A sighted person looking around a room can quickly tell who is where, who’s talking to whom and other information useful for social cues and behaviours. A blind person, however, may not know who has just entered a room, or whether someone has just looked at them to prompt them to speak. This can lead to isolation and antisocial behaviours, like avoiding groups.
Researchers at Microsoft wanted to look into how technology could help a child blind since birth access that information and use it in a way that made sense for them. What they built was PeopleLens, a clever set of software tools that run on a set of AR glasses.
How does PeopleLens work?
Using the glasses’ built-in sensors, the software can identify known faces and indicate their distance and position by providing audio cues like clicks, chimes and spoken names. For instance, a small bump noise will sound whenever the user’s head points in anyone’s direction, and if that person is within 10 feet or so, it will be followed by their name. Then a set of ascending tones helps the user direct their attention toward the person’s face. Another notification will sound if someone nearby looks at the user, and so on.
How often should the device be used?
The idea isn’t that someone would wear a device like this for life, but use it as a learning aid to improve their awareness of other cues and how to respond to them in a prosocial way. This helps the child build the same kinds of non-verbal skills that others learn with the benefit of sight.
Where can we get PeopleLens?
Right now PeopleLens is very much an experiment, though the team has been working on it for quite a while. The next step is to assemble a cohort of learners in the U.K. between the ages of 5 and 11 who can test out the device over a longer period. If you think your child might be a good match, you can sign up at Microsoft Partner the University of Bristol’s study page.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=astmNfJHT4A
