A US startup Aira recently started offering its smart glasses-based service for blind people which it has been developing for the last several years. Aira’s solution was designed to help people suffering from any degree of visual impairment as it allows them to navigate the world more easily with some help from the company’s agents. The service is centered around a hotline that a client can call at any time using a specialized pair of smart glasses. Once a connection is made, the Aira app lets the company’s agent see whatever the camera from the user’s glasses is picking up. In addition to a real-time visual feed, the app also provides agents with relevant location data so that they can locate clients in case they get lost and need help to navigate their surroundings. Apart from smart glasses, this solution also works with ordinary smartphones as it’s capable of utilizing phone cameras in the same way it works with smart glasses.
The company claims how the service can be used for everything from simple navigation to grocery shopping, making an order in a restaurant, or calling a cab. The main idea behind this solution is to facilitate the process of traveling for blind and visually impaired people. With that said, the firm doesn’t advertise its services as an ultimate tool designed to replace all other types of assistance. On the contrary, this service was meant to be used as a last resort, and its business model reflects that. The company’s service can only be purchased as a subscription which includes a pair of smart glasses, a specific amount of time with Akira’s agents, and all related data charges.
Akira is currently running a holiday promotion which offers three different service tiers, Utility, Value, and Premium. The Utility package includes 750 minutes for three months for $299, the Value one is priced at $999 and offers 3,000 minutes for half a year, while the Premium tier accounts for 10,000 minutes for $2,499 and is valid for a year. Note that these are all special offers limited to the first 500 clients who sign up for the service during the promotional period.
