Demonstration event of Orcam technology
Recently, the embassy of Israel in Cameroon was proud to present the latest groundbreaking and revolutionary technology for visually impaired persons and blind ones. This was during a demonstration event at PROHANDICAM Yaoundé in the presence of the Israeli Ambassador Ran Gidor and his deputy Simon Clément Seroussi.
In a globalized world where human interaction is increasingly conducted via digital means, blind and visually impaired persons are finding it more challenging than ever to integrate themselves into a society which is still far from inclusive. The State of Israel, as a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, is committed to developing technologies designed to meet some of those challenges.
The Israeli company 'ORCAM' harnesses artificial intelligence technology for improving the quality of life of individuals who are blind, visually impaired or have learning and reading disabilities and increase their independence. The innovative device 'MyEye' is a discreet visual aid, portable and intuitive. It can easily be used by children, adults and the elderly. It is the world's most advanced wearable assistive technology device for the blind and visually impaired, that reads text, recognizes faces, identifies products and more.
OrCam was founded in 2010 by Professor Amnon Shashua and Mr. Ziv Aviram , who are also co-founders of '' Mobileye '', the leader in collision avoidance system and autonomous innovator in driving. The original OrCam device MyEye was launched in 2015, and the next generation OrCam MyEye 2.0 was launched in 2017.
Innovative in artificial vision led by eminent minds, OrCam counts in its team leaders in the field of computer vision and machine learning, including software, computer and electrical engineers, experts in computer hardware design, and a high quality service team also made up with people with disabilities.
The ORCAM device operates concretely by enabling :
- Texts reading, activation by a simple gesture, reading texts printed on any digital medium ;
- Face recognition, face recognition in real time ;
- Banknotes recognition, pay with banknotes becomes simple ;
- Products Identification, ORCAM MyEye2 has millions of product barcodes in its database ;
- Color detection, buy with confidence with precise color indications ;
- Announcement of the date and time, using a very convenient wrist gesture ;
Compact, wireless and requiring no internet connection, this device works everywhere.
• Its characteristics are as follows :
-Dimensions (76 x 21 x 14.9 mm) ; -Weight (the device : 22,5g and the box : 553g) ; -Battery (3.7v DC, rated 320 Att) ; -Camera : 13 Megapixels.
Objectives of the event:
This demonstration event of ORCAM technology aims at several objectives:
-A humanitarian objective - Dr. Charly Ringnyu Nyugap (University of Buea) is Cameroon's first blind holder of a PhD degree. As such, he forms an inspiring role-model to other persons with disabilities in overcoming enormous challenges in his ambition for academic excellence. The Israeli Embassy is proud to award Dr. Nyugap an ORCAM MyEye device in acknowledgment of his achievements and in the hope of encouraging others to following his example. A humanitarian objective - Dr. Charly Ringnyu Nyugap (University of Buea) is Cameroon's first blind holder of a PhD degree. As such, he forms an inspiring role-model to other persons with disabilities in overcoming enormous challenges in his ambition for academic excellence. The Israeli Embassy is proud to award Dr. Nyugap an ORCAM MyEye device in acknowledgment of his achievements and in the hope of encouraging others to following his example.
-Raising public awareness – The event forms yet another link in the Israeli Embassy's ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities, and is designed to promote its vision of "leaving no one behind".
- Policy objective – The event is designed to promote the ORCAM technology vis-a-vis potential partners, such as: government departments, public authorities, UN agencies, local business community, educational & medical institutes and individuals interested in philanthropic activity. Policy objective – The event is designed to promote the ORCAM technology vis-a-vis potential partners, such as: government departments, public authorities, UN agencies, local business community, educational & medical institutes and individuals interested in philanthropic activity.
Thus, the vision of the Israeli Embassy in Cameroon is "leaving no one behind" – including the visually-impaired community, as all the previous activities carried out in the field of humanitarian plan show.