Category: Autonomy

The Mercadona app gives access to online supermarket shopping. Purchases can be made quickly and intuitively from any location as long as it is covered by the postal codes where the service is already available. The app enables products to be viewed in detail, added to the basket and the purchase made. In addition, previous purchases can be checked and modified according to need and the usual products bought with no dependence on lists.

User profile: This app is an answer to one of the difficult situations faced by those with visual disabilities: shopping.

Although the app is intuitive and easy to use, it is appropriate for those who feel comfortable using mobile devices because to use it properly the user must use text fields, drop-down buttons etc. If the user is totally blind and does not feel completely at home with the screen reader, it might seem overwhelming to use the app correctly.

Yuka is a free mobile app that scans the barcodes of food and cosmetic products to assess their impact on health. A detailed sheet then helps the user to understand the analysis of each product. When the impact on health is negative, Yuka recommends similar products that are more beneficial.

User profile: The app is recommended for any user profile as it is not difficult to use and it provides clear and accessible results for every type of user. Perhaps the trickiest part is the registration process although this is no different to others.

The Detector de luz ONCE app has been developed to help the blind or visually disabled discover at any given time whether the room they are in has a light source. For this, the app enables the user to use the front or rear camera. The user can be informed by sound, by vibration or by both. It also gives a percentage on whether a light source is active.

User profile: This app is recommended for any user who feels comfortable using their device. Only a few steps are required and it is simple, intuitive and accessible.

Identificador de Colores ONCE is an app that detects, using the camera of a mobile device, the colours of any object on which it focuses.

This information may be accessed in different ways:

1. Continuous colour review: the app sends constant information about the colours detected by the device camera simply by focusing.
2. Exploration of an image: the app takes a photo, which can be explored using one’s finger or using a braille line.

When using it, like all apps of this type available in app stores, it should be remembered that it depends greatly on the light in the room, the quality of the camera and the shadow that we might produce when we take a picture.

User profile: This app has a very high degree of accessibility, it is very simple to use and therefore it can be recommended for any user profile. Its straightforward nature makes it easy to use anytime, anywhere.

A taxi booking app recommended for people with visual impairment. Thanks to advanced technology, the app facilitates independent mobility and helps eliminate everyday obstacles for the blind and visually-impaired. Very intuitive to use, a taxi can be ordered at the desired location with minimal clicks.

Be My Eyes is a way of connecting the blind or the visually impaired with sighted volunteers to help them live a more independent life. Users can request assistance from a sighted volunteer, who will receive a notification. As soon as the request is accepted, a live audio and video connection between both parties will be set up. From then on, the volunteer can help the blind or visually impaired person through the video connection in the rear camera to resolve any situation that requires sight.

TapTapSee is designed to help the blind and the visually impaired identify objects that are hard to check, such as packaging, tins, the colour of a garment etc. Simply touch the screen twice to take a photo of any object, at any angle, wait a few seconds and the app will identify it. (Note: spoken identification requires Voice Over to be activated).

Digit-Eyes is a robust app that reads barcode labels, enabling the visually-impaired to scan UPC/EAN codes and recognise over 34 million products on its database. Barcode labels can also be made using the Digit-Eyes website and printing them using low-cost shipping labels. These codes can contain text that Voice Over reads aloud or be used to make sound recordings that will be heard each time the code is scanned with the iPhone.

The MD evReader is a simple iPad app designed to help people with Macular Degeneration (MD) to read e-books when it is combined with the technique of “eccentric viewing”. Eccentric vision is when a person attempts to see by making use of their peripheral visual skills instead of the central ones (macular). The app enables the text (of e-pub documents) to be presented horizontally, from right to left, through the screen. The speed and the direction of the text movement may be controlled using a monitoring panel on the iPad screen. The text may be enlarged and presented in very large fonts on a digital screen through an HDMI port (this requires an Apple HDMI adaptor). The reader must fix their gaze in their preferred position of eccentric vision, far from the text, and read the text without moving their eyes. At present, the app cannot show books that are DRM-protected.

Seeing Al is a free app that describes the world that surrounds you. Designed for the community of people who are blind or have low vision, this research project in progress takes advantage of the power of Artificial Intelligence to open up the visual world and describe the people, texts and objects nearby. Optimised to be used with Voice Over, the app enables you to recognise:

• Short text: it speaks text as soon as it appears before the camera.
• Documents: it provides an audio guide to make a screen shot of a printed page, and recognises the text, together with its original format.
• Products: it scans barcodes, using audio sounds to guide it; hear the name and the packet information when it is available. (works with iPhone 6 and subsequent versions)
• People: it enables people to save faces so that they can recognise them and obtain an idea of their age, gender and emotions.
• Scenes (expected preview): hear a general description of the scene in the screen shot.
• Money: it recognises banknotes. (Requires iOS 11)
• Colour: it identifies colour.
• Handwriting: it reads handwritten text as in greetings cards
• Light: it generates an audible tone that corresponds to the brightness of the setting.
• Images in other applications: just touch “Share” and “Trigger Face Recognition” to describe images of email, photos, Twitter etc. The app is designed to help you to achieve more by taking advantage of the power of the cloud and artificial intelligence. As the research progresses, it will possible to add more channels.

The aim is to support the blind and the visually impaired in their daily life in a simple manner. This app enables blind users to recognise colours and detect light sources. In addition, the visually impaired will be able to use the electronic magnifier. It can also read and create barcodes and QR codes. These can be used to mark and organise objects.