AI is transforming assistive technology. For people who are blind or have low vision (BLV), AI provides new ways to access graphical and environmental information through applications like BeMyAI and smart glasses such as Ally Solos and Envision. Most research in this area has focused on speech and conversational agent-based interfaces. In this talk, I will investigate how combining conversational agents with other modalities can provide an even more engaging and liberating experience, as well as support independent verification of the information provided by the agent. I’ll discuss three examples. The first is the combination of conversational agents with refreshable tactile displays to support data analysis and mathematics education. The second is the combination of conversational agents with 3D-printed models to create engaging educational artefacts, and the third is the combination of a conversational agent and image enhancement in smart glasses to support environmental understanding by people with cerebral vision impairment (CVI).
Chairs
Kimbal Marriot, Monash University