What if everything you said was immediately subtitled and shared with deaf people around you? That seems to be the idea behind XRAI Glass, a new software solution being paired with Nreal’s AR glasses. The software allows users to connect the glasses directly to their Android phone and then have conversations around them subtitled directly in their field of view.
The software is currently built to work with the Nreal Air smart glasses, which act as a gateway to augmented reality content. AR content has slowly been evolving in recent years, with big tech companies like Apple even working on mixed reality glasses. Unlike traditional AR glasses, though, XRAI Glass is focused on providing a more valuable daily experience for users that are deaf or hard of hearing.
The XRAI Glass software acts by picking up voices around the user. It does this by using the smartphone that it is connected to – which can be seen in a video shared by the company, which I’ve embedded in this article. The company hasn’t shared exactly how well the software and glasses can work in a noisier environment, but a promotional video shows them in use in multiple environments.
XRAI Glass says that it hopes to one day provide a way for the glasses and software to tell different speakers apart. And, because it portrays the subtitled directly on the lenses in front of the user, individuals that are deaf or hard of hearing can still take part in conversations without having to focus solely on the person talking.
It’s a huge quality of life change for people suffering from hearing loss. While scientists have looking for ways to reverse hearing loss due to certain instances, having software and tech like XRAI Glass can help people who suffer from those losses live a better life, without letting that loss get in their way too much. The tech is still in a pre-register at the moment, and XRAI Glass hasn’t shared when it plans to launch.
