Greenwood High student builds an innovative app for the visually impaired

Bangalore: Pavan Chitta, a 12th grade Greenwood High student has built an innovative app called “Bee My Guide”. The main goal of the app is to enable the visually impaired to know exactly what surrounds them in their immediate environment. This would enable them to have a relatively higher level of independence and in a way gain the sensation of vision through visualization by using the app along with their other senses. The app consists of various features such as My Vision, What's around Me, Find My Stuff, Check My Money, My Location and My Weather etc.

This idea was conceptualized when Pavan visited a unique restaurant ‘Dialogue in the Dark’ recently. What started as a fun trip ended up leaving a large impact upon him. He had the opportunity to dine in complete darkness and interact with visually impaired employees who act as guides at the restaurant. This is when he started to think that just as they guided him in the darkness at that restaurant, what could he do to guide them through their darkness. The restlessness was channeled into meetings and discussions with various visually impaired persons to understand their main problems and ultimately this app was born. There are several Visual Recognition APIs, including IBM's Watson Visual recognition, leveraging which Pavan was able to develop this app Bee My Guide.

Commenting on this initiative, Pavan Chitta said “I am hoping to expand this mission and eventually come up with a smart cane, which has the same functionality as my current app along with echolocation to detect distances from objects. In this technological era with cognitive explosion, wherein even cars will be able to navigate themselves in the near future, the potential for innovation in the field of helping the visually impaired is endless. It is only when you walk in someone else’s shoes, and immerse yourself in their daily life that you understand the difficulties they face”, adds Pavan.

Ms. Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High International School said “We are very proud of Pavan Chitta and commend his dedication to help the needy in an innovative way. We applaud his dedication and hardwork and his relentless efforts have set an example for his peers. At Greenwood High, we ensure to encourage and support the budding talents and do not leave any stone unturned to help them relish their dreams. We provide the students a well rounded platform and allow them to grow and excel and will continue to do the same.”

Faizal, manager and in-charge of recruiting at a restaurant and visually impaired himself said, "The app is so accessible and easy to use that within 30 minutes, i got used to all the features. This app really helps us to be more independent."