Saqib Shaikh of Microsoft Seeing AI to Speak at Sight Tech Global

Seeing AI and the Future of Accessible Technology

Last year’s inaugural Sight Tech Global event featured a highly attended session led by Saqib Shaikh. This virtual event focused on the application of AI and related technologies to enhance accessibility for individuals who are blind.

Introducing Seeing AI

Shaikh, a Microsoft engineer, is the co-founder and leader of the Seeing AI mobile application. This app provides a wide array of beneficial services for people with visual impairments.

It can read documents and signs.
It facilitates the recognition of friends.
It identifies grocery items and currency.
It allows for photo exploration through tactile feedback.

Shaikh is scheduled to return to this year’s Sight Tech Global. Registration for the free, virtual event, taking place on December 1-2, is now open.

A Collaborative Approach to Innovation

Shaikh characterizes his work as a continuous dialogue. It’s a conversation between the blind community and the engineers and scientists at Microsoft.

The goal is to gain a deep understanding of the everyday challenges faced by users and to determine how emerging technologies can be utilized to develop innovative solutions.

Recent Advancements in Seeing AI

Over the past year, Shaikh’s team has been rapidly implementing new features. A recent addition is an audio augmented reality experience designed to aid in navigating unfamiliar surroundings.

This system identifies objects within the environment and positions them in a 3D space. Headphone users will hear announcements originating from the actual location of items, such as the word “chair” emanating from the chair itself.

Users can also establish virtual audio beacons on objects. This allows them to track the location of things like doors, and utilize a haptic proximity sensor to perceive the room’s boundaries.

Leveraging Cutting-Edge Technologies

These capabilities are made possible through the integration of the latest advancements in AR, computer vision, and the iPhone 12 Pro’s lidar sensor.

At Sight Tech Global, Shaikh will detail the team’s efforts to combine these technologies. He will discuss how they promise to enhance the independence of individuals with vision loss.

He will also describe the latest developments in the audio augmented reality experience and share a vision for the future of assistive agents.

Event Details and Sponsorship

Don’t delay – register now! Sight Tech Global remains free, virtual, and accessible globally.

The event is a production of the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. We extend our gratitude to our current sponsors: Ford, Google, Humanware, Microsoft, Mojo Vision, Facebook, and Vispero.

If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please reach out to us. All sponsorship revenue directly benefits the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, an organization that has served the Silicon Valley area for 75 years.