Be My Eyes is a Crowdsourced Video Chat that Helps Blind Individuals
Meghan Young — January 19, 2015 — Tech
References: bemyeyes.org & fastcompany
The Be My Eyes app is a great tool for visual impaired individuals as well as those who believe they can help make a difference in their lives. It is a crowdsourced video chat service that allows users to actually share their eyes with a blind person. Similar to Apple's Facetime feature, Be My Eyes connects someone visually impaired with someone with sight who is willing to help out.
Invented by Hans Jørgen Wiberg, the Be My Eyes app may seem like it's not as helpful as some may want others to believe, yet that is not the case at all. Cofounder Thelle Kristensen says, "From what we find, a clear majority of blind smartphone users are on iPhone—in Europe almost exclusively. IOS has had accessibility functions for the blind since iOS 3 that came with iPhone 3GS in 2009 and has since gotten continuously better."
Invented by Hans Jørgen Wiberg, the Be My Eyes app may seem like it's not as helpful as some may want others to believe, yet that is not the case at all. Cofounder Thelle Kristensen says, "From what we find, a clear majority of blind smartphone users are on iPhone—in Europe almost exclusively. IOS has had accessibility functions for the blind since iOS 3 that came with iPhone 3GS in 2009 and has since gotten continuously better."
Trend Themes
1. Sight-sharing Technology - Opportunity for companies to develop more advanced sight-sharing technology for individuals with visual impairments.
2. Crowdsourced Video Chat Services - Companies can explore creating crowdsourced video chat services to help individuals with different needs.
3. Smartphone Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities - Future innovation opportunities for smartphone companies to continue improving accessibility features for individuals with disabilities.
Industry Implications
1. Assistive Technology - A growing market for assistive technology companies to develop innovative products that cater to individuals with disabilities.
2. Healthcare - Healthcare providers can integrate sight-sharing technology into their telemedicine services to improve their care for visually impaired patients.
3. Technology - Opportunities for tech companies to leverage crowdsourced video chat services to create new products and services for people with different needs.
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