What is Vision Assist?
A smartphone app being developed to help blind and partially sighted people notice obstacles while walking. It uses the phone camera and AI to spot people, vehicles and obstacles, and tells you about them with short spoken alerts.
Does it replace my white cane or guide dog?
No. Vision Assist is designed to work alongside your usual mobility aid. It can warn about things a cane may miss, such as chest-height signs, but you should always keep using your cane or guide dog.
Can I download it today?
Not yet. Vision Assist is a working prototype. We are preparing a small pilot with blind and partially sighted users. You can join the pilot list on the Join page, and try the AI detection demo on this website now.
What phones will it work on?
The goal is standard modern iPhone and Android phones, with no extra hardware. Supported models will be confirmed before the pilot.
Will it cost money?
Core hazard alerts are planned to be free. Optional premium features and licences for organisations will help fund development, and we will look for sponsorship so price is never the barrier.
What does it detect?
Today it recognises people, vehicles, bicycles and common street objects. Hazard-specific detection — poles, kerbs, steps, barriers and manholes — is being trained now.
How does it know how far away something is?
The prototype estimates distance from the known typical size of objects and from depth estimation on the camera image. These are estimates, not measurements, so treat distances as a guide.
Is my camera video stored or shared?
No. The demo on this site runs entirely in your browser and nothing is uploaded. The app is designed to process video on the phone. Any footage used to improve the AI will only ever be collected with clear, separate consent.
Does it work at night or in the rain?
Accuracy drops in low light, rain and glare, as with most camera-based systems. Testing in these conditions is part of the pilot, and results will be published.
Which languages are supported?
English first. Multilingual alerts are on the roadmap.
How can my organisation get involved?
We are looking for sight-loss charities, mobility specialists, universities and transport operators to help test and shape Vision Assist. See the For organisations page or email us.
How do I report an accessibility problem with this website?
Please email us with the page and what happened, and we’ll fix it as quickly as we can.
Help us build it right.
We’re looking for blind and partially sighted people to try Vision Assist in a small, supported pilot — and organisations who want to help.
Sign-ups go by email to the founder. Nothing is stored on this website.