Smart glasses provide real-time captioning to conversations

Smart glasses tethered to a phone will provide deaf users with real-time captioning to conversations.

XRAI Glass software converts audio into a subtitled version of the conversation which appears on the wearer’s spectacle screen.

The company highlighted that 12 million adults in the UK live with hearing loss greater than 25 dbHL.

Chief executive of XRAI Glass, Dan Scarfe, described the launch as “a momentous day.”

“We are so proud of the ability this innovative technology has to enrich the lives of people who are deaf and have hearing loss, so that they can maximise potential – whether that means being able to have a conversation while continuing to make dinner or keeping a conversation going while walking with a friend,” he said.

Chief executive of Royal National Institute for the Deaf, Mark Atkinson, shared that the technology had the potential to transform the lives of people with hearing loss.

“XRAI glass is intuitive and simple to use and could be a powerful tool in ensuring people with hearing loss don’t feel excluded in social settings. We support and applaud this endeavour and are keen to play our part in connecting innovators with our diverse communities,” he said.

The augmented reality spectacles will be available to purchase online by EE Network customers for an upfront cost of £10 then £35 per month for 11 months or at EE stores nationwide for non-EE customers for £399.99. There will be no cost for the software during the public preview phase.