Here is the entire science report.
How effective would AI-powered mirrors be at improving accessibility and independence for people who are blind when shopping for clothing and accessories?
According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, in 2020, 1.1 billion people were living with vision loss worldwide. From 1990 to 2020, the number has increased by a startling 42.8% from 34.4 million to 49.1 million partly due to an aging population. This emphasizes the importance of accessibility needs for people who are blind. Similar to most sighted people, many individuals who are blind also care about their appearance.
“Blind people care about their appearance. Not everyone, but it’s not true that because we can’t see ourselves very well (or at all), that we don’t want to take pride in our appearance. Sure, you’ll have to tell me if I have dog hair on my coat or lipstick on my teeth, but don’t be surprised if I’ve got makeup on or my outfit is well put together. Everyone will do what makes them happy, and for some people that means focusing on different things other than how they look, but don’t assume that just because I’m blind I don’t care.” - Rachel Finlay, from the Rick Hansen Foundation
Fashion is more than just looks. It is also how it makes you feel (e.g. adding to your confidence) and it is a form of expressing yourself. So, although an individual who is blind may not be able to see themselves on the outside, it can still affect how they feel on the inside.
Elin Williams, author of My Blurred World has little remaining vision so she shops online as it is the best way for her to independently do it. On her laptop, she uses the zoom feature but not all websites are accessible. Although she cannot see the items clearly, it does give her a better notion of what is available. She says that clothing descriptions are very beneficial and are improving. On her website, she states “If there isn’t a good description and if I can’t paint a picture of what an item might look like then I’ll most often than not scroll past it.”
When shopping in person, she takes someone along who truly understands her specific style and trusts them. That person would choose an item for her and then let her know if it looks good when she tries it on. She takes interest in other things like description, texture and materials since she can’t see the item of clothing.
The problem with these methods of shopping is that it is not fully accessible for people who are blind. It’s very difficult to shop without another sighted individual.
When we think of blindness, there are two user personas I can think of: one group who has no recollection of when they had vision such as blindness from birth and the second group who despite vision loss has a memory of how things look. This distinction is critical to knowing the accessibility solution being defined.
The purpose of this project is to research a way in which AI can be used to allow individuals who are blind the choice of being independent when shopping for clothing and accessories. I am going to be specifically focusing on those who became blind later on in life.
The Smart Mirror is able to take an outline of the user in front of it to gauge accurate measurements that are relevant for shopping (e.g. height, waist, chest, etc.). There is also a footrest component attached to it that measures your foot dimensions. If the user would like the dimensions to be more precise, they have the option of adjusting them now and even later on. Once the dimensions are set up, an avatar of the user will be created.