AR for VIPs Demonstration Video
Channel: Dylan
Date: 2019-08-14

Descriptive audio: https://youdescribe.org/video/SPnoeb0zqRs?ad=5cd9af77abc2b679a39dda96

Read more: https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/projects/2019/augmented-reality-visually-impaired-people

Augmented Reality for Visually Impaired People (AR for VIPs) is a research project from the University of California's School of Information that seeks to put augmented reality to use as an accessibility tool for people with low vision or blindness.

It helps solve problems like the bus stop problem: once GPS has gotten a blind person within 5 meters or so of their target, how do they find the right pole and make sure it's their stop?

To do so, it sonifies objects near the user, allowing them to hone in on signposts and other obstacles. Then, it enables the user to read any text on that post using text recognition.

This type of application has huge implications. With improvements in AR hardware and machine learning, augmented reality could help blind people navigate in all kinds of unfamiliar environments, such as schools, airports, museums, grocery stores, and more.

Attributions:

Videos Used Under Creative Commons

Perkins School for the Blind - Bus Stop Challenge
https://www.perkins.org/access/
inclusive-design/blindways/challenge

Access+Ability: Wayband by WearWorks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wyq19zYfQw

Wellington Aiprort Becomes First in New Zealand to 
Offer Virtual Help for the Blind - 1 News Now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6OEKjOGpFA

Music: Carpe Diem by Kevin McLeod
https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3478-carpe-diem/

Logo: Lloyd Humphreys 
Via the Noun Project
https://thenounproject.com/Lloyd/

Special thanks to Lucy Greco!
Web Accessibility Evangelist
Berkeley Web Access
https://webaccess.berkeley.edu

Creators:
Dylan Fox
Alyssa Li
Anu Pandey
Rohan Kar

Additional support from VR@B dev team:
Rajandeep Singh
Manish Kondapolu
Elliot Choi
Teresa Pho