Smartphones Turn Into Assistants For The Blind

[Silversurfer]

This is the best use of an smartphone I have seen all year! I am only slightly visually impaired so I'm not in the demographic but I think this could be used in general augmented reality apps for smartphone use for the general public as well ?
imagine pointing your smartphone in the supermarket to a particular product you usually have in your larder and it knows that you are low on that particular item etc

[youtube-hd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf-0Dj95 ... r_embedded[/youtube-hd]
We've seen software and applications designed to assist visually impaired individuals in the past, but nothing's been quite what we're shown in this video. The LookTel software actually allows phones to recognize and audibly identify objects almost instantly.
The software does need to learn landmarks and objects, but after the initial setup it appears to be quick and accurate. If the real thing is as good as this demo video, then smartphones will become an incredible and—depending on the cost of the software—potentially affordable aid for blind or impaired individuals. [LookTel]

Article:
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