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Manager   •   about 8 years ago

Questions for Xian Horn

Do you have questions for Xian? Post them here and Xian will answer them for you!

  • 5 comments

  •   •   about 8 years ago

    I am working on one of my idea that does't exactly applies completely to one of the examplar but more of a broad assistive toolkit kind of application. I saw your tech brief, please pardon me if I am wrong but there are apps like siri which allows you to do almost all the functions handsfree with your phone. Am I thinking along wrong lines ? I would like to incorporate something which might assist you better but I want to know in which direction are you thinking ? can you help me with any ideas that you might have however vague they might be I would like to hear them.
    Thanks and Regards

  • Manager   •   about 8 years ago

    *Posted on behalf of Xian*

    Hi Navjot,

    Thanks for your question and thinking of ways to help.

    While it may seem like Siri has everything covered, it's a bit more complicated than that. On a busy
    New York Street for example, it is really difficult for Siri to understand me. It's also hard for me to speak into a device if I can't hold it up to my face. Earphones are also difficult with long wires because they can get in the way of mobility when your hands are in from of you and you need to move them. I should be able to all Siri-like things without taking my phone out of my bag. Perhaps a button I can press on my canes or body would be ideal.

    Solutions may exist theoretically, but practically I've yet to see a hands-free mobility-focused, on-the-go solution.

    Hope this addresses your question! Thanks again!

    Warmly,

    Xian

  •   •   almost 8 years ago

    Hi Xian,

    We watched your video and we believe we have a truly hands free solution to meet many of your needs. Our product is called iPal. iPal is a wearable computer, in the form of a fashionable yet minimal pair of glasses, that allows you to control your mobile devices using eye gestures.

    iPal has 4 cameras embedded into the frame, 2 small ones that track your eyes and 2 scene capturing cameras that can take photos and videos of exactly what your eyes see without lifting a finger. You can also post these photos and videos to your social media pages using eye gestures. iPal has a microphone and speaker and you can use it to answer a call or place a call. iPal is powered through a separate control module that houses the battery, memory, processor and Bluetooth and WiFi. This allows us to make the eyewear thin and lightweight. The control module connects to the glasses via wires. The control module also communicates wirelessly with your smartphone.

    We currently have a lab prototype. With this prototype, we can issue many commands with simple eye gestures, take pictures and record video. You can learn more about iPal at http://bit.ly/1GbZFiy (our Indiegogo campaign page) and at http://meetipal.com.

    To better understand your needs and focus our efforts, we would like you to prioritize your needs or maybe give us a list of minimum and novel requirements or things that you would like to do. Is controlling your smartphone with eye gestures enough? Is taking photos and videos of what your eyes see important to you?

    We highly appreciate your feedback.

    Thanks,
    Trey Belmore
    iPal Team

  • Manager   •   almost 8 years ago

    *Posted on behalf of Xian*

    Hello Trey!

    Thank you so much for your thoughtful note and product. IPal sounds fantastic. Do they come with prescription?! I love that it can photograph what I see! However, I hope it's not too sensitive and taking pics every ten secs...lol... cuz I'm a blinker with long lashes!

    If it will allow me to pick up my phone, search accurately, and text on the go it'll be a godsend, also if there could be some navigational component (I got lost in the park today - and would great if I could have taken a pic and it told me where I was, and where to go). I think this would also be helpful to Gus. Perhaps you may want to write him as well. Also, glasses have a tendency to move or come off my face when I'm in motion and since my hands aren't free I can't adjust in the moment, it'd be great to have a stable, well-fitted pair somehow.

    Thanks for all your awesome help and hard work. Hope to meet you and the team one day! Keep in touch and let me know if you have any other questions! I'm excited!

    Warmly and gratefully,

    Xian

  •   •   almost 8 years ago

    Thanks for the quick and thoughtful response. iPal comes with clear lenses but it does accommodate prescription lenses. Also, iPal ignores natural blinks, so there is no issue with taking accidental photos. We are excited to hear that you are so enthusiastic about the possibilities of iPal. We look forward to staying touch and using your feedback to create a very compelling solution.

    Thanks,
    Trey Belmore
    iPal Team

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