Founder Maithreya Chakravarthula, Kaleem Khan and his team have developed an AI-powered mobile app to help people with visual impairments.
Thanks to Sahai Tech’s AI and machine vision technology, people who are visually impaired are now a step closer to living independently through a specially designed app using Artificial Intelligence. The mobile app has been hailed by many for its ability to identify objects and obstacles while providing navigation details like distance information, obstacle detection and identification. It also features a voice instructional guide to help users navigate around them to reach desired objects.
What is the app called and How does it work?
The Sahai Artificial Intelligence & Machine Vision mobile app uses a camera to detect an object and then gives the user audio instructions that includes the distance of the object and how to reach it.
Typically, a user requests an object that they want to identify. Next, users will have to hold up the camera to scan the room for the object in question. Once detected, the app will alert the user through voice and haptic feedback. The app provides details about the position of objects once found by announcing about the distance and hurdles between the user and the object.
How many objects does the app recognize?
Currently, the app can recognize 80 different objects, including water bottles, laptops, people, and street signs.
Was there any collaboration with the blind community?
Sahai Tech has been collaborating with the National Federation for the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind to introduce its “Orientation and Mobility” assistant for blind and low vision individuals.
Sahai Tech was co-founded by Maithreya Chakravarthula & Kaleem Khan. They came up with the idea for the mobile app when he worked with a nonprofit organization that helps the blind and visually impaired. With the support of his team members scattered around Texas, Pakistan, and India, they managed to create a large database of images that have been used to train the model.
“At Sahai Tech, we believe that “Accessibility Ignites Innovation. We set out to develop a solution that tackles an everyday problem faced by people who are new to vision loss in an efficient, elegant and effective manner. Sahai Vision is the 1st step towards that solution,”” said Maithreya Chakravarthula, founder at Sahai Tech.
When is the app expected to be available?
Sahai plans to launch the app in the market within a few weeks.
Sahai Tech co-founder Maithreya Chakravarthula created the AI app for visually impaired people because of his passion for them and the desire to see other people in society live a better life. He started and has been managing Sahai Tech from his personal savings and has allowed his passion to help people drive the company to success. Sahai won the third prize of $5,000 at the UT Dallas’ 2018 Big Idea Competition. The company also earned a place in the NTXINNO’s as one of the 21 North Texas startups to watch in 2021.
Are there any other uses for this technology?
Sahai has found a new use for its technology. Around the summer of 2020, the company has retooled its existing technology for retailers amid the pandemic. This solution allows retailers to apply social distancing and contact tracing measures by tracing and tracking customers’ movements within a store. It helps in identifying spots where people are congregating and how and where they have interacted with products on the shelves.
The company now has distribution partners in Qatar, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia. It’s deployed the aforementioned retail solution in malls and other commercial spaces in the Middle East and is working on expanding its reach to other locationses. Founders Maithreya Chakravarthula and Kaleem Khan believe that the pandemic has helped reshape their vision and given them the opportunity to explore other gaps in the market that can be fulfilled with their unique AI/ML algorithms.
