SeeingAI
SeeingAI is Microsoft's free talking-camera app for blind and low vision users, narrating text, people, products, currency, and colors in 18 languages.
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What is SeeingAI?
SeeingAI is a free mobile application developed by Microsoft that serves as a visual assistant for blind and low vision individuals. The app narrates the world around you by using your smartphone's camera to identify and describe nearby people, text, objects, products, currency, and colors through audible descriptions. It is designed with and for the blind and low vision community as an ongoing research project that harnesses AI power to open up the visual world.
Key features include: Read (hearing text as soon as it appears in front of the camera), Describe (taking photos to hear rich descriptions and ask questions), Products (scanning barcodes and Accessible QR codes with audio beeps), People (recognizing saved friends and coworkers), Currency (recognizing US and Canadian dollars, British Pounds, and Euros), Color (describing colors of objects), Handwriting (reading handwritten text), Light (detecting ambient light intensity), Find My Things (recognizing personal objects via audio cues), World (an Audio Augmented Reality experience with Spatial Audio requiring LiDAR and iOS 14+), and browsing photos saved on your device.
SeeingAI is specifically for blind and low vision individuals who need assistance with daily tasks like reading mail, identifying everyday products, hearing descriptions of photos, reading restaurant menus, street signs, and handwritten notes. The app is available in 18 languages with plans to expand to 36, and works on both iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android via Google Play Store.
The app continues to evolve as the team hears from the community and AI research advances, demonstrating how technology can make the world more inclusive. Users can also share media from apps like Mail, Photos, and WhatsApp to get descriptions, making SeeingAI versatile for various daily scenarios.
SeeingAI pricing
Pricing model: Free
Seeing AI is completely free to download and use. There is no free tier versus paid plan distinction - the entire app is free with all features included. Available for free download on Apple's App Store for iPhone and iPad, and on Google Play Store for Android devices. No subscription, no premium features, no paid upgrades required.
SeeingAI pros
- Completely free app with no paid plans required
- Available on both iOS and Android devices
- Supports 18 languages with expansion to 36 planned
- Reads printed text instantly with camera
- Document alignment provides audio cues for page capture
- Scans product barcodes with audio beep guidance
- Recognizes multiple currency types (USD, CAD, GBP, EUR)
- Identifies colors of specific objects like clothing
- Reads handwritten text on cards and notes
- Detects ambient light intensity through tone variations
- People channel estimates age, gender, and expression
- Find My Things helps locate misplaced personal objects
- World channel provides Audio Augmented Reality with Spatial Audio
- Can describe photos from other apps via Share feature
- Works with VoiceOver for full accessibility
- Ongoing research project that continuously evolves
- Identifies nearby people with distance estimates
SeeingAI cons
- Color identifier not very accurate for single objects
- Phone must be at specific angle to read documents
- Color recognition picks up multiple objects simultaneously
- Doesn't always warn when document portion is out of view
- Self-photo descriptions take too long or won't generate
- App can crash when generating self-photo descriptions
- Handwriting accuracy varies by writing style
- Handwriting text must be right side up
- World channel requires LiDAR sensor and iOS 14+
- Light detection depends on environmental lighting conditions
- Some features still experimental like handwriting recognition
- Currency feature was initially unavailable and added later
Frequently asked questions about SeeingAI
What is Seeing AI and who is it designed for?
Seeing AI is a free mobile app that narrates the world around you using artificial intelligence. It is designed with and for the blind and low vision community to help them understand their visual environment through audible descriptions of nearby people, text, and objects.
Is Seeing AI free to use?
Yes, Seeing AI is completely free to download and use. There are no paid plans, subscriptions, or premium features - all functionality is included for free on both iOS and Android devices.
What devices can I use Seeing AI on?
Seeing AI is available on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Download from the iOS App Store for Apple devices or Google Play Store for Android devices. The World channel feature requires a device with LiDAR sensor and iOS 14 or later.
How many languages does Seeing AI support?
Seeing AI is available in 18 languages: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian Bokmal, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. Microsoft plans to increase this to 36 languages in 2024.
Can Seeing AI read handwritten text?
Yes, Seeing AI has handwriting recognition that can read handwritten text like personal notes in greeting cards and printed stylized text. However, accuracy varies depending on handwriting style, and the text must be right side up for the feature to work.
What currencies can Seeing AI recognize?
Seeing AI can recognize US dollars, Canadian dollars, British Pounds, and Euros. Simply point the camera at the bill and the amount will be announced audibly.
How does the color recognition feature work?
The color recognition feature describes the color of objects like garments in your closet. However, it depends on lighting conditions - poor lighting results in darker color readings, and it may pick up colors of multiple objects simultaneously rather than just one specific object.
What is the Find My Things feature?
Find My Things allows you to teach Seeing AI to recognize your personal objects like keys, remote controls, or specific containers. Later, you can follow audio cues to find these items when they're misplaced.
What is the World channel and how does it work?
The World channel provides an Audio Augmented Reality experience to explore unfamiliar environments. When wearing headphones, you hear objects announced from their 3D position in the room (like 'chair' coming from the chair's location). This feature requires a device with LiDAR sensor and iOS 14 or later.
Can I use Seeing AI with photos from other apps?
Yes, you can tap 'Share' and 'Recognize with Seeing AI' to describe media from Mail, Photos, WhatsApp, and other apps. You can also browse photos and videos saved on your device to hear their descriptions.