Home technology software Google Lookout- a special app for visually impaired

Google Lookout- a special app for visually impaired

Software

CIO Bulletin
2019-03-14

Google had announced that it was working on a new app for visually impaired people last year. Named as Lookout, it infuses AI to identify objects through the phone’s camera. The app is finally here and available for download. Apart from identifying objects, the app can also read signs, labels, identify currencies, and scan barcodes.

Right now, the software is only on Pixel devices in the U.S. only. Lookout requires an unobstructed camera view and so, Google has recommended the users to carry their Pixel device in the front pocket of a shirt or coat. They could also wear their mobile on a lanyard around their neck. Google has also cautioned that the app’s results will not always be completely accurate or perfect- just like all new technologies.

A helping eye

But for the past year, Google has worked endlessly with all the feedback coming in from its early beta users. It has been continuously testing and monitoring the quality of the results. But we still aren’t sure if Lookout will be work on other devices. But Google said that it’s working to bring Lookout to a wider platform, more countries, and devices. Of course, Google isn’t the only one working on apps for the blind. We have Seeing AI from Microsoft, which also just got an update and many others.