Accenture develops AI-powered solution to help visually impaired

Bengaluru, July 28 :  IT company Accenture on Friday announced a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solution called 'Drishti' that would help the visually-impaired people.

'Drishti' provides smartphone-based assistance using AI technologies such as image recognition, natural language processing and natural language generation capabilities to describe the environment to a visually impaired person.

Developed through a collaboration with the National Association for the Blind in India, 'Drishti' narrates to a visually impaired person the number of people in a room, their ages, genders and even emotions based on facial expressions. 

"This solution is a great illustration of how AI technology can empower humans by augmenting their capabilities so they can achieve more for themselves and the world around them," said Paul Daugherty, Accenture's Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, in a statement.

The AI-powered solution can also be used to identify and narrate text from books and documents, including currency notes, and identify obstructions like glass doors to improve the safety of the user.

Accenture plans to introduce 'Drishti' to more than 100 visually-impaired persons in India. 

Currently, the solution is being piloted in South Africa and a Spanish language version is being tested with Accenture employees in Argentina.

"We've seen first-hand how the 'Drishti' solution can enable visually impaired individuals to lead more inclusive and productive lives," said Pallavi Kadam, Executive Director, National Association for the Blind in India.