[blind-philly-comp] Fw: Perkins becomes first campus in the nation to collaborate with Aira
- From: <ecollege1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2018 11:42:19 -0500
From: george.holliday
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 7:10 PM
To: George S. Holliday
Subject: Perkins becomes first campus in the nation to collaborate with Aira
FYI
Eric Bridges - ACB Executive Director, serves on the Aira Advisory Board.
Perkins becomes first campus in the nation to collaborate with Aira
New technology utilizes wearable devices to instantly connect users with
sighted assistants
Article Link:
http://www.perkins.org/stories/perkins-becomes-first-campus-in-the-nation-to-collaborate-with-aira
Staff, students and visitors to Perkins School for the Blind will now have
access to a new level of accessibility thanks to an exciting collaboration
between the school and tech-company Aira.
Starting immediately, anyone with an Aira subscription will be able to use the
service at no additional cost while on Perkins’ 38-acre campus. Aira
(pronounced “eye-rah”) provides instant, on-demand access to a network of
trained sighted assistants via smart glasses or a mobile app.
Perkins President and CEO Dave Power announced the collaboration, the first of
its kind in the nation, at a press conference on Tuesday. He was joined by Aira
CEO Suman Kanuganti, who called the day “a historic moment” for the blind and
visually impaired community.
“As a human, everyone has an equal right to access information,” Kanuganti
said. “With Aira, all people will have equal access to information anywhere and
anytime.”
Aira’s assistants, called Aira Agents, are able to view the world from the
user’s point of view through the smart glasses or smartphone camera. They use
augmented reality to instantly help users with a variety of tasks – from
navigating in unfamiliar areas to identifying an Uber ride.
Perkins Library Director Kim Charlson calls an Aira Agent when she wants to
take a photograph or sort through a stack of mail. Although she navigates
independently with her guide dog, Dolly, when snow or ice obscures a pathway,
Charlson calls Aira to confirm her location.
“To succeed in life, every blind person assembles their own set of tools to
navigate the world,” she said. “The Aira assistant allows me to be independent
and safe by describing exactly where I’m walking so I don’t veer off course.”
Charlson was one of several Perkins staff to pilot Aira last year, offering
critical user feedback to Kanuganti’s team. On Tuesday, Power emphasized the
importance of user testing and user-centered design in developing effective
devices and services. He ticked off a list of recent projects including
driverless car testing and a mobile app developed by Perkins.
“Connecting innovators and users is a natural extension of Perkins’ mission,”
he said. “We’re using user-centered design as a way to drive these
collaborations so the end results are great innovation and useful products.”
Photo of Kim Charlson, ACB President, using Aira at the photocopier.
At the press event, news outlets from Watertown and Boston gathered around as
Assistive Technology Specialist Cory Kadlik demonstrated Aira’s capabilities.
After donning his smart glasses, Kadlik put his phone on speaker so the
audience could listen in on his conversation with Amy, an Aira Agent.
For the next several minutes, Amy served as a remote set of eyes for Kadlik,
describing the size and shape of the room, the number of occupants and the
contents of the refreshment table. After pulling up a photo of Power for
reference, Amy told Kadlik where to go to shake the president’s hand.
“It looks like he’s straight ahead, wearing a dark suit and a red tie,” she
said. “He’s actually standing up, it looks like, to shake your hand.”
“Awesome,” said Kadlik, before signing off. “Amy, I appreciate your help, we
will talk soon.”
Other related posts:
- » [blind-philly-comp] Fw: Perkins becomes first campus in the nation to collaborate with Aira - ecollege1
