It’s not science fiction, it’s science. In recent years, brands ranging from Snapchat to Facebook have launched their own devices in recent years. Now, a new pair of smart glasses for people who are deaf or hard of hearing has been launched called XRAI Glass that uses augmented reality to transform audio into subtitles that are instantly projected in front of the wearer’s eyes.
“We are extremely proud of the ability of this innovative technology to enrich the lives of people who are deaf and hard of hearing so they can maximize their potential,” said Dan Scarfe , CEO of XRAI Glass. “Whether that means being able to have a conversation while continuing to cook dinner or having a conversation while walking with a friend.”
When you wear XRAI Glass, the user will be able to read speech in real time through subtitles; its software automatically converts the audio into a subtitled version of the conversation that will then appear on the screen of the user’s glasses. They are similar to Google Glass, but geared towards deaf people.
The software uses sophisticated speech recognition capabilities to identify who is speaking and then uses it to translate languages, tones of voice, accents… They are available for a price of around 450 euros.
fantastic technology
According to the company they are the “first of their kind” and aim to allow the deaf community to participate in everyday conversations by instantly converting audio into subtitles that are displayed in front of the user’s eyes. The software’s speech recognition can even identify who is speaking, and the company hopes the technology will be developed to translate languages. It plans to reach 70,000 people by the end of 2023.
The hardware was developed by AR glasses company Nreal through its Nreal Air glasses, while XRAI Glass provided the software.
As well as allowing deaf people to ‘see’ conversations with other people, glasses can also open the door to other technologies, such as smart assistants.
“This is a great example of the positive difference innovative technology can make for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. At RNID we are excited about the potential of technology to transform the lives of our communities. XRAI glass is intuitive and easy to use and could be a powerful tool in ensuring that people with hearing loss don’t feel left out in social settings,” said Mark Atkinson, RNID Executive Director of the UK National Institute for the Deaf (RNID). United.
