‘Aipoly Vision’ AI app opens up the world live for visually impaired

Free iPhone/iPad app is now live on App Store
January 3, 2016 by Amara D. Angelica

This just in: Aipoly Vision* — a free AI app that runs on your iPhone/iPad** (Android coming) and recognizes objects and colors — is now live on the App store, Aipoly Inc. co-founder Alberto Rizzoli just told me in an email.

Of course, I immediately downloaded the app, launched it on my iPhone 6s+, and tested it. It works spectacularly. Its voice names objects or colors in real time as a walk around and also displays objects’ names. I am blown away. Here’s a sample:

Informal Aipoly Vision object-recognition test (credit: A. Angelica/Aipoly Inc.)

Aside from a few minor glitches (the swivel chair was also named “office” and “padded stool” and a banana was also named “bug” and “handle” — but I taught it the right name using its “pencil” tool), Aipoly Vision was astoundingly accurate. Colors were a problem with small objects because of backgrounds, but works OK for most large objects, walls, and floors, the company says.

This video shot by Aipoly Inc. will give a better idea of its abilities:


Aipoly | Aipoly Vision App

Quick specs: constantly updates live at 3 frames a second (database resides on phone, so it’s real-time). Knows about 800 objects, will be a few thousand early in 2016.

Founded July 2015, Aiploy Inc., one of the GSP15 (global solutions program 2015) companies formed at Singularity University, is based at Singularity University in Mountain View, California, but is developing the app in Melbourne, Australia until March. Rizzoli said they will be at CES 2016 in Eureka Park.

I’ll post technical details shortly.

* “Aipoly” stands for “AI polly” (a parrot name).

** iPhone 5s and above; iPad Air and above; Mini 2 and above.