Amazon Show and Tell image

E-commerce giant Amazon has unveiled its new accessible Show and Tell feature for its Alexa voice-command technology, which helps people who are blind or have vision impairments easily recognise their grocery items.

Show and Tell works alongside Amazon Echo, an Alexa-enabled device which allows people to ask questions and carry out various tasks entirely by voice command. For example, people can play music, set alarms, check the weather, manage their ‘to-do’ lists and ask questions to the Amazon Echo.

Then, Amazon Echo connects to Amazon Echo Show, a screen with a camera which enables people to watch TV shows, make Skype calls and view films.

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With Show and Tell, blind and low vision customers can hold up an item to the Echo Show camera and ask, “Alexa, what am I holding,” and Alexa helps identify the item through advanced computer vision and machine learning technologies for object recognition.

Amazon worked with blind and visually impaired people as well as collaborated with the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in California to help create its assistive feature.

“The whole idea for Show and Tell came about from feedback from blind and low vision customers,” said Sarah Caplener, Head of Amazon’s Alexa for Everyone team. “We heard that product identification can be a challenge and something customers wanted Alexa’s help with.

“Whether a customer is sorting through a bag of groceries, or trying to determine what item was left out on the counter, we want to make those moments simpler by helping identify these items and giving customers the information they need in that moment.”

You can see Amazon Show and Tell in action below:

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https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Amazon-Show-and-Tell.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Amazon-Show-and-Tell-150x150.jpgSarah SarsbyNewsroomRetailer Newsaccessible technology,Amazon,Amazon Alexa,Amazon Show and Tell,assistive device,assistive technology,Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired,voice commandE-commerce giant Amazon has unveiled its new accessible Show and Tell feature for its Alexa voice-command technology, which helps people who are blind or have vision impairments easily recognise their grocery items. Show and Tell works alongside Amazon Echo, an Alexa-enabled device which allows people to ask questions and carry...News, views & products for mobility, access and independent living professionals