Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: Piane received OrCam My Eye 2.0 reading device

It is like having a companion who is telling you what is in front of you . This is how the OrCam My Eye 2.0 device could be described . Its size is very small and can be installed on the side of glasses, so that visually impaired people press a button and hear what is in front of them.

This Israeli technology tool was donated by the Israeli embassy in Chile, for the benefit of the entire UC community. “We chose to make this donation to UC because of the great work they are doing on inclusion and accessibility issues. It is an honor to be able to contribute, with a grain of sand, to the work that all of you are doing, ”said the Israeli ambassador to Chile , Marina Rosenberg , the day she officially handed over the donation.

For her part, Catalina García , director of Inclusión UC , details how it works: “It is a very small technological device, it looks like a pendrive, and it is designed to be placed in a pair of lenses, although it could be installed on another support. The device scans what is in front of you and, audibly, reports it to you.One of the important uses is that in front of a book, it takes a photo and tells you what is written in an auditory way. If I were in front of a document to sign, I would read it out loud to you. It can also tell you “you have three people in charge” and it could be personalized to tell you who those people are, for example, your brother, your mother, your friend. In university contexts it mainly serves as a support for reading, library and study ”.

“One of the important uses is that in front of a book, it takes a photo and tells you what is written in an audible way. If I were in front of a document to sign, I would read it aloud to you” – Catalina García, Director of Inclusion UC

OrCam MyEye is a voice-activated device that attaches to virtually any eyeglass. It is capable of instantly reading the text of a book, the screen of a smartphone or any other surface, recognizing faces, helping to shop on its own, working more efficiently and living a more independent life. It transmits visual information audibly, in real time and without a Wi-Fi connection. Image credit: César Cortés.
According to the Inclusion Directorate, UC currently has 270 students with some disability, of which 39 have visual disabilities. For that reason, a plan is being defined to be able to use it in a shared way. “As it is a single device, we are thinking of leaving it in the library or other open-use place, so that students can borrow it. In that case it would have a limited use only for reading and study. Another possibility that we are evaluating is to lend it to a single student, for an amount of time, so that they can personalize it and take advantage of all the options it offers, ”says Catalina García.

Currently the UC has 270 students with some disability, of which 39 have visual disabilities, according to the Directorate of Inclusion

OrCam strengthens the autonomy and independence of people, especially those with visual disabilities. It is currently kept in the office of the Program for the Inclusion of Students with Special Needs – PIANE UC , located on the same San Joaquín Campus. It is expected to learn from this tool to continue advancing in accessibility and promotion of university participation in conditions of equity.

The following video, produced by the company that sells these devices, explains how it works.