Augmented Reality live subtitles shows the future of a live UI


In sci-fi franchises like Halo, Augmented Reality displays offer full HUDs (heads-up display) with integral information about their surrounding. As AR tech finally starts to reach the level of feasibility shown in science fiction, and it happens be a massive accessibility tool.

AR tech has the potential to help alleviate many annoyances of every day life. However, for people are hard of hearing, a newly-developed live subtitles tool may make daily interactions much easier than ever before.

Augmented Reality live subtitles

Posted online by Aera Technology CDO Pascal Bornet, a new AR tool could be a game-changer for deaf people. Developed by Paul Mealy, AR live captions have been designed to automatically transcribe speech in real time.

Shown off in a minute-long video, the Augmented Reality live captions tool has the ability to focus on a specific person. In a large group, the software will focus on the audio coming out the person, turning all resources to transcribe that person.

This singular focus is an important part of making live captions tolerable. Otherwise, if the software tried to transcribe everyone, the heads-up display would struggle in crowds. For example, walking down a busy street would fill the display with dozens of transcriptions.

Additionally, the video shows one of the biggest reasons behind the app’s use: face masks. While the AR captions are fantastic for hard of hearing people in general, they're even more important nowadays. Typically, deaf people read lips to understand people who can't sign. However, as the coronavirus pandemic required everyone to cover their faces, lip-reading has become impossible.

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AR is the next useful tech innovation

New technology should always push to make lives easier. Augmented Reality has the capability to make lives easier for a large number of people, especially those who are hard of hearing. But just what can the technology be used for?

Well, outside of the aforementioned live captions, AR glasses could provide real-time information on anything. For example, GPS map navigation could be on at all times, instead of requiring users to constantly check their phone.

On the other hand, Augmented Reality technology may end up being exploited by businesses. Facebook is already experimenting with creating AR adverts with experts claiming the company's plans could destroy reliable reality.

Nevertheless, if treated well, AR could be the next smartphone, the next big tech trend. But will enough people be up for adopting the technology?

For more articles like this, take a look at our AR and News page.