AI-Powered XR Glasses Aim to Support Visually Impaired Workers -

Researchers in Germany are developing an artificial intelligence-powered mobile assistance system designed to help people with visual impairments perform everyday workplace tasks more independently.

The four-year AssistiveXR4Work project is being developed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation (IOSB). It combines extended-reality (XR) glasses with AI to adapt visual information to each user’s individual needs.

For workers with sight impairments, routine activities such as reading equipment labels, deciphering handwritten notes or navigating unfamiliar workplaces can be difficult without assistance. Researchers say these challenges often result from barriers in the working environment rather than a lack of professional skills.

The XR glasses will use a high-resolution camera to continuously capture the user’s surroundings. The system can then modify the visual display by enlarging information, increasing contrast or recognising text. It can also convert written material into speech, allowing users to access information without relying on others.

According to Professor Rainer Stiefelhagen of KIT’s Center for Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technologies, the technology could automatically recognise and enlarge information displayed on a whiteboard during a meeting or convert handwritten notes into digital text for further processing.

In engineering environments, the system could assist with navigation and identify or highlight relevant components. Its AI capabilities will also allow it to recognise objects and support users with orientation.

If additional assistance is required, users could connect with a human helper through a livestream.

Beyond improving workplace accessibility, researchers say the project could help address Germany’s shortage of skilled workers. People who develop serious visual impairments during their careers can face difficulties remaining in employment or may have to change professions despite having valuable experience and qualifications.

Germany’s Institute for Employment Research estimates that the likelihood of remaining in the labour force five years after developing a disability falls by around 16 percentage points.

Researchers plan to develop a working demonstrator during the next four years before testing the system in real-world working environments. –TX/ERMD

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