OrCam MyEye: Promoting independence and participation with artificial intelligence

Reading texts, identifying products at the supermarket and even recognizing faces – the MyEye tool from OrCam can do just that and helps blind and visually impaired people feel more confident in everyday life. At REHACARE 2019, area sales manager Jennifer Kietzke showed us how the discreet, smart wearable assistive technology works.

Jennifer Kietzke pulls on her lanyard. What looks like a small USB stick is actually the OrCam MyEye device. The area sales manager attaches the small camera to her eyeglass frame, holds a magazine in her visual field and points her finger. That’s when you hear a typical text-to-speech voice that starts to read the text in the magazine. Kietzke makes another hand gesture, which stops the process and she takes off the wearable assistive device.

The smart wearable vision technology comprises a lightweight smart camera that can recognize any printed and digital text. The built-in speaker then reads the text aloud – in real-time. The system also works with any product and banknotes. "We have a clearly defined target audience," says Kietzke at REHACARE 2019. "OrCam is a visual aid for people who have only five percent or less residual vision or are totally blind." The smart camera translates visual information into speech and can also help people with dyslexia to overcome reading challenges and thrive in everyday life or enhance their skills in this area. The main purpose of OrCam is to be an assistive device which is why the MyEye is officially recognized and approved by the German National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) and thus paid for by German health insurance companies and other applicable providers.

Anyone who is concerned that he or she must be tech-savvy to operate this smart device, need not worry. The area sales manager explains: "Our device has a wide range of users because visual impairment and blindness is not necessarily age-related, though it tends to affect older people more. It’s therefore important that the device is intuitive and easy-to-use. This also means that OrCam does not require an internet connection and can be used offline." The device features a Wi-Fi connection to install regular updates but doesn’t require an app or any additional device. "I only need the text I want to access and the device," Kietzke confirms. The simple and intuitive operation is what makes the vision aid so user-friendly. Older people are not the only users who benefit. Young people are also avid users, with the youngest in Germany being just seven years old. But even when you are 95, using the wearable is not difficult, according to the area sales manager.

Yet that’s not all MyEye is able to do. This small gadget can identify products at the supermarket and even banknotes. It can also recognize faces. However, the camera does not save photos of people and only uses biometrics to recognize them – i.e., it uses 128 embeddings that represent a person’s unique face. "You would have a large Excel list of numbers that only a professional could understand. But you can allay your fears. The device only stores photos of product barcodes." Rest assured, OrCam takes the protection of personal data very seriously.

OrCam MyEye has been available in Germany since 2016. Back then marked the first time, the Israeli company was an exhibitor at REHACARE. Kietzke was already part of the team and manned the booth at the time. She fondly remembers her first impressions. "It was very awe-inspiring for me to welcome the first end-users who tested the device for the first time and had tears in their eyes. These were some very powerful and touching moments that made you realize how this device gives users renewed independence and makes their everyday lives easier." The second generation of MyEye and MyReader is now available. REHACARE visitors also offered constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement. OrCam still likes to come to the trade fair. Kietzke: "There is obviously a big selection of assistive technology, devices, and services offered by companies for people with different disabilities. It’s always interesting for us to look outside of our niche market and get an idea of aspects that grab the attention of the healthcare industry and medical technology. It enables us to see the big picture and get a sense of where we fall in with our product. This trade fair is also an opportunity for us to network and get in touch with health insurance companies, providers and organizations. Yet we also receive constructive criticism – and find out how we can optimize and improve our product. This helps to give us a new perspective and allows us to grow."