The editor of Downcodes will take you to learn about a black technology product that changes the lives of visually impaired people - Seekr. It is a portable device developed by Hong Kong startup Vidi Labs. It is as big as a matchbox but can bring unprecedented convenience to the visually impaired. Seekr was born out of the founder's care for his visually impaired grandfather. During the epidemic, he found that his grandfather was unable to obtain timely environmental descriptions due to social distancing restrictions, which inspired him to create Seekr. This device integrates a variety of functions to provide visually impaired people with more convenient daily life assistance through smartphone apps and Bluetooth headsets.
In the wave of technological innovation, Hong Kong start-up company Vidi Labs has launched an epoch-making device - Seekr, which is a black technology tool that will completely change the lives of the visually impaired.
This device, which is the size of a matchbox, is not just a simple auxiliary tool, but a pair of smart eyes that can talk. It was born from a warm and slightly regretful story: During the 2020 epidemic, founder Turzo Bose found that due to social distance restrictions, his visually impaired grandfather could not get live descriptions from family and friends, so he came up with the idea of creating this device idea.
How amazing is Seekr? With just one click, it can instantly interpret the world in front of visually impaired users. This device is equipped with a depth-sensing camera, a microprocessor, a battery and a Bluetooth module. Through a smartphone App and a Bluetooth headset, it can broadcast scene information in four different modes in real time:
Scene mode: describe the immediate environment, for example, there are two people sitting on a bench directly in front of you
Depth Mode: Precisely guides users to grasp target objects
Supermarket mode: identify product type, such as this is bread or this is apple
Text mode: Read text on signs, menus, and packaging
For partially sighted users, you can even just use the mobile app and camera. But the emergence of Seekr allows the elderly to easily control this black technology.
This device has won the CES2025 Innovation Award and is priced at approximately US$770 (including a one-year App subscription). It is not only a technological product, but also a bridge connecting the visually impaired with the world. Who would have thought that a small device the size of a matchbox could so completely change a group's lifestyle?
The temperature of technology may be more clearly defined at this moment.
The emergence of Seekr not only reflects the huge power of scientific and technological progress, but also demonstrates the care and attention to disadvantaged groups. I believe that in the future, there will be more similar technological products, bringing warmth and convenience to more people’s lives. The editor of Downcodes looks forward to the emergence of more innovative technologies!