This past August, a London-based tech company called XRAI introduced AI-powered smart glasses. These glasses use XRAI Glass Technology to provide subtitles of conversations to individuals with hearing loss. Specifically, they convert real-time conversations into subtitles on the user’s screen. The glasses even include a feature that plays back the conversation, identifies the individual speaking, and relays this information to the user.
The CEO of the company XRAI Glass, Dan Scarfe, stated that he is “proud of how this innovative technology can enrich the lives of people who are deaf and have hearing loss so that they can maximize potential. Whether that means being able to have a conversation while continuing to make dinner or keeping a conversation going while walking with a friend.” Scrafe explained that he was initially inspired by his grandfather, who suffered from hearing loss. The CEO stated that he wanted his grandfather to be a part of family gatherings made possible by these glasses.
With this groundbreaking innovation, people with hearing loss will feel included in social settings and have the opportunity to connect and engage with the individuals around them. In the future, the glasses will have the ability to translate languages, accents, pitch, and even voice tones.
The value in these glasses lies far beyond their ability to include individuals with hearing loss in social situations. This technology is beneficial since it can be applied in various healthcare settings. For example, if a person with hearing loss ends up in a hospital, they are able to understand what is occurring around them. These glasses provide the solution to a communication barrier that may arise between the healthcare team and the patient.
Thank you for reading,
Ilana Saidov
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