Adjustable AI Reader Could Help The Visually-Impaired Consume Content With Ease

Central vision loss is the inability to view things head-on; with this condition, most patients can only see things peripherally. This visual disability is mainly brought on by age-related macular disorders or diseases such as diabetes. 

Those who have suffered central vision loss may be able to gain the ability to read with ease once again, thanks to a new AI model that the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is developing.

 
It’s common for patients to move their heads from side to side to take in content. If that doesn’t help, some might even have to play around with the text to make sure the spacing and font size is legible.
 
The system currently aims to determine reading patterns in such patients by adapting the material to suit each person’s needs. The research is being led by Per Baekgaard, an Associate Professor at DTU who also aims to answer the question as to why certain people have difficulty reading.

Within the study, the model primarily uses eye-tracking to follow the person’s eyes as they move. It can then identify which areas of text they skip over and how much they tilt their heads. It even tracks pupil dilation and contraction during different reading experiences to better understand how a passage should be displayed.
 
All of these indexes are then compiled and studied by the system to accurately adjust the font size, contrast, and spacing between letters and lines on phones, tablets, and computers.

AI continues to bring advancements in the medical sphere, and this research shows how something as simple as an automated adjustable reader can help patients. The only question now is if such technology can be made for everyone to access.
 
 
 
[via Technology.org and Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Photo 4225558 © Pavalache Stelian | Dreamstime.com]