Press Release
India is home to over 62 million people who are blind or visually impaired. Yet, only 15% have access to advanced AI-based assistive devices due to their high costs, internet dependence, and limited reach in rural areas. This creates massive barriers to independence, education, employment, and social inclusion. The reasons behind this are the high cost of such tools, dependency on the internet, and limited access in rural areas. To address this issue, 16-year-old Arjun Patel from Jaipur has developed an affordable AI-powered smart glasses called ‘SightSense’ for visually impaired people. He is a class 12 student at Jayshree Periwal International School, Jaipur.
‘SightSense’ is not just a smart pair of glasses but a unique assistive device loaded with multiple features. These glasses provide real-time voice feedback to help visually impaired individuals in their daily lives. Additionally, the glasses can recognize more than 100,000 objects, read text written in 243 languages and include a built-in GPS system for navigation. It can also detect currency. Not just that, it also includes an AI assistant that can answer questions (similar to Amazon’s Alexa). These glasses have been produced at a cost of just ₹15,000, whereas similar devices in the market are priced up to ₹1.5 lakh. Compared to existing tools, ‘SightSense’ is ten times more affordable and presents a direct and effective solution.
Speaking about the idea behind this innovation, Arjun said, “Last year, I visited an NGO in Jaipur that worked with children who are visually impaired. As I observed their learning environment, I noticed that the assistive devices they were using were outdated and ineffective. When I asked one of the teachers why they hadn’t upgraded to better technology, she said, ‘We can’t afford it.’ That moment made the problem clear: the issue wasn’t the lack of innovation, but the lack of affordability, and that is what I set out to change with SightSense”.