Problem

An estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide have vision impairment or blindness. Navigating large, crowded indoor spaces, such as airports, can be challenging for these individuals and often requires heavy reliance on assistance from others or memorization of layouts. Enhancing accessibility for visually impaired individuals improves their quality of life and promotes inclusivity and diversity. Accessible environments and technologies empower individuals with visual impairments to participate fully in social, educational, and professional activities.

The VisualAIze team is dedicated to addressing the significant challenges visually impaired individuals face in airports. By harnessing the power of large language models (LLMs) and multimodal datasets, we aim to provide real-time descriptions of images at various airport locations. These detailed descriptions of a user's surroundings are designed to empower visually impaired individuals, enabling them to navigate airports independently and confidently. Our project is a crucial step towards creating a more inclusive society where individuals of differing abilities can confidently explore the world.