Honor’s PocketVision harnesses the power of AI and quad camera technology to help the visually impaired easily read documents, menus and other text with ease.
Recently, Chinese device maker Honor has introduced an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered app called PocketVision that makes it easier for the visually impaired and people with low vision to read.
To help raise awareness about the barriers blind and partially sighted people face, Honor has partnered with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) which supports people with vision impairment. The new breakthrough, PocketVision, uses the power of Honor’s AI (artificial intelligence) and quad camera technology to deliver an enhanced reading experience for people all around the world, which makes it portable and an affordable alternative compared to other magnifiers and typo-scopes currently available in the market.
“At Honor, we believe in the relentless pursuit of innovation; creating cutting edge technologies which make a positive impact on the world,” said George Zhao, president of Honor. “PocketVision aims to level the playing field for the visually impaired, giving this community a portable, affordable solution to other reading aids available in the market.”
With the launch of this app, Honor hopes to create an enhanced reading experience for people all around the world, enabling a greater sense of independence and giving people with low vision the confidence to unlock their potential and pursue their passions, the company president added.
Developed by social company Eyecoming and pioneered by Honor’s cutting-edge technologies, PocketVision features three key modes to help people read more clearly.
Text-to-Speech Mode:
Powered by Honor HiAI and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, this mode helps to convert pictures to text faster and more accurately. It then narrates the text from books, documents, menus and more with ease
Zoom-In Mode:
Leverages the quad camera lens and telephoto lens for ultra-clarity in Honor smartphones. This mode allows users to zoom into text using the volume buttons on their device, making even the smallest type larger, less blurry and more legible
Negative Image Mode:
Provides a range of colour filters to enhance text; this mode improves the contrast of printed materials for people who struggle to see certain colours.
“Smartphone technology is playing an ever-increasing role in enabling everyday independence for blind and partially sighted people. PocketVision is an example of an exciting new category of apps that allow on-the-spot accessibility. Using this app, people with low vision will have the ability to convert any text into a readable format, making the world a more accessible place, giving a greater sense of freedom and breaking down barriers to create a more inclusive society,” commented Robin Spinks, senior innovation and technology relationships manager at RNIB.
PocketVision can be downloaded on all Honor smartphones like the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro, which has an AI-powered quad camera. The application can be downloaded for free from the Huawei AppGallery and supports English, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese language.