Adilabad, India: A seismic shift in assistive technology is on the horizon with the advent of “Blind Eye,” a pioneering wearable device designed for the visually impaired by Tagire Ravi Kiran, an engineering student from Adilabad. The device, which promises to dramatically enhance the independence of visually challenged individuals, garnered international acclaim when it was showcased at Global Incubation Week, an event organized by UNICEF in Istanbul, Turkey, from August 24 to 30.
Blind Eye’s cutting-edge innovation secured the prestigious imaGen Ventures Award, an accolade bestowed by Generation Unlimited, a global Public-Private-Youth Partnership backed by UNICEF. As part of this recognition, Kiran will receive a cash prize of Rs 8.5 lakh and gain the invaluable opportunity to trial his invention in 10 different countries.
Remarkably, Ravi Kiran was the sole Indian innovator invited to this global platform, making him one of just ten innovators worldwide selected to present solutions with real-world impact.
“The Blind Eye is the world’s first assistive wearable spectacle device tailored for visually impaired individuals. It provides comprehensive information about their surroundings, assists in safe navigation, reads text in any language, and recognizes objects and people, thereby promoting inclusivity,” Kiran shared with ‘Telangana Today.’
Designed to elevate the quality of life for those with visual impairments, Blind Eye integrates sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) features. The device includes advanced sensors, a camera, speaker, and microphones, all integrated within a spectacle frame. Its AI capabilities allow it to read text in any language and convert it into audio, assisting users with daily tasks like reading newspapers, books, or even identifying currency notes.
Ravi Kiran, who hails from a modest background as the son of a TGSRTC Adilabad depot clerk, collaborated with several significant organizations to bring his vision to life. Support from T-Works, the Telangana government, MeitY Startup Hub, and various incubation centers such as Atal Incubation Centre, ALEAP Women Entrepreneurs Hub (AIC ALEAP WEHUB), IKP Knowledge Park, and ACIC BML Munjal University (BMU) played a crucial role in this endeavor.
Before gaining international recognition, Kiran had already made a mark by winning the Young Innovator Award from the Telangana government in 2019, along with a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh from the LV Prasad Eye Institute for the same invention.
Currently, Kiran is a third-year engineering student at a private university in Maharashtra and an alumnus of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya-Kaghaznagar.
How “Blind Eye” Transforms Lives
The Blind Eye device is a game-changer in numerous ways. It can recognize people, provide the count of individuals present, and even announce their names if pre-saved. The device can also offer detailed information about people in the user’s vicinity, such as whether they are looking at them or their movements—functions that greatly enhance situational awareness.
Furthermore, Blind Eye enhances the safety of users, particularly women, by differentiating people by gender and offering detailed movement information, thus providing an added layer of security. It also identifies and provides audio feedback on various essential objects like water bottles and mobile phones, mitigating the dependency on others.
With its advanced sensors, Blind Eye aids visually impaired individuals in safely navigating their environment by detecting obstacles and suggesting safe pathways, rendering traditional canes obsolete.
Ravi Kiran’s pioneering work with Blind Eye is setting new benchmarks in assistive technology, embodying a future where inclusivity and independence for the visually impaired are not just possibilities, but realities.