AI Smart Glasses by Kenyan students offer new hope for the visually impaired

As technology continues to evolve, offering solutions to various societal challenges, visually impaired individuals in the country now have reason to be hopeful thanks to a groundbreaking invention: AI-powered smart glasses developed by a team of university students.

These innovative glasses are designed to improve the lives of visually impaired individuals, especially those unable to access costly medical care to restore their vision. 

Featuring advanced optical character recognition and contextual awareness, the glasses aim to enhance the quality of life for users.

Samson Muturi, a fourth-year student at KCA University, explained that the glasses integrate Google Maps for navigation, computer vision technology, and generative AI to enable users to recognize objects in their environment. 

According to Muturi, the smart glasses are accessible to both fully blind and low-vision individuals. 

Key features include a voice assistant, object recognition, and navigation support, enabling users to identify items, navigate unfamiliar spaces, and receive audio descriptions of their surroundings.

Victor Ng’ang’a, co-founder of the project and fellow Software Development student, emphasized that this advanced technology provides users with independent access to information and instant text-to-speech capabilities. 

However, Ng’ang’a also noted during KCA University’s Innovation Week that limited funding has hindered the product's development, particularly the need for ongoing updates to its database of objects and scenes.

KCA University Vice Chancellor and CEO Isaiah Wakindiki encouraged the innovators, highlighting that societal challenges create opportunities for creative solutions, urging them to continue developing ideas that benefit future generations.

The students expressed that they are seeking mentorship from generative AI experts and computer vision specialists to enhance their innovation further, with the goal of moving toward mass production in the future.