ISee: An android application for the assistance of the visually impaired

Abstract

Smart phone technology and mobile applications have become an indispensable part of our daily life. The primary use however, is targeted towards social media and photography. While some camera-based approaches provided partial solutions for the visually impaired, they still constitute a cumbersome process for the user. iSee is an Android based application that benefits from the commercially available technology to help the visually impaired people improve their day-to-day activities. A single screen tap in iSee is able to serve as a virtual eye by providing a sense of seeing to the blind person by audibly communicating the object(s) names and description. iSee employs efficient object recognition algorithms based on FAST and BRIEF. Implementation results are promising and allow iSee to constitute a basis for more advanced applications.