Google rolls out new AI-powered accessibility features for Lookout, Google Maps, and more

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Google rolled out several accessibility features to some of its apps, including the Lookout app and the Google Maps app. These updates coincided with Global Accessibility Awareness Day and come two days after Google’s I/O 2024 event. These updates are designed for people with disabilities and will help them in their daily lives.

For starters, the Lookout app, which could read text and documents aloud and recognise food labels, through the camera now has a new ‘Find Mode,’ that can help users select from categories like seating, tables, vehicles, utensils, and bathrooms. The app then guides users by providing directions to their interest places.

This makes navigating in a busy area with lots of shops easy for disabled users. Moreover, Google has added a new in-app capture button in the app, which takes photos and provides AI-generated descriptions for a better understanding of that particular place.

Another major update has come in the Look to Speak app, as it now enables users to communicate by selecting phrases for the app to speak out loud using eye gestures. It also allows users to choose from a collection of different emojis, symbols, and photos to initiate a speech.

Last year, Google also announced ‘Project Gameface,’ which is an open-source hands-free gaming mouse that lets users interact with a computer screen using head movements. Google has now allowed Android developers to access its server via Github to customize facial expressions, gesture sizes, and cursor speeds.

Additionally, Google has added voice guidance and screen reader capabilities for Lens in Google Maps, which identifies places like banks, restaurants, shops, and more to provide their categories and distance. It will also provide detailed voice guidance for quick navigation.

Further, Google has made wheelchair information on Maps accessible on desktops, which shows areas where wheelchairs are accessible including places like public toilets, restaurants, parking, and more.