Amazon launched a new first-party Alexa Show skill called Show and Tell in order to help the visually impaired identify groceries and other household items like boxes, cans, or other packaged items that are hard to identify by touch.
Amazon worked with the Vista Center for the Blind in Santa Cruz, California, as well as its own blind and low-vision employees to develop Show and Tell. Users can ask Alexa on their Echo Show “what am I holding?” or “what’s in my hand?” to activate the Show and Tell feature. Alexa first helps guide the user in placing the object in front of the camera on the smart display, then using a combination of computer vision and machine learning, Alexa is able to identify the item and tell the user. Right now, Show and Tell is restricted to second-generation Echo Show devices in the U.S., though there are plans to extend it to other countries soon.