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AI Technology in Low Vision Aids for iPad Users

At the end of 2024, LVI introduced AI technology in our software for iPad, MagniLink Viewer. The software can be connected to several of our video magnifiers, and the AI technology has made our already powerful low vision aids even better. Notably, they have become more user friendly, simplifying and streamlining work in front of the video magnifier for those with visual impairments.

 

Summarize, Translate, and Ask Questions About Text

With the help of AI, it is now possible to not only enlarge and read out a newspaper article, for example, but also to translate it into another language or summarize it. Users can type commands such as "What is the text about?" or "Translate the text to German," or simply hold down the microphone button and speak the same commands. It is also possible to ask specific questions about the content of the text, such as "Is the word lactose mentioned in the text?" and get immediate answers.

 

Additionally, users can ask questions about anything, even if the answer is not in the text in front of them, such as what the capital of a certain country is called and get an answer directly. This can be used for general information, but it is also very effective for relevant follow-up questions to a text. For example, if the user has a menu in front of them, they can ask what fish dishes are on the menu and how much they cost. As a relevant follow-up question, they might also want to ask what type of fish sea bass is or what Hollandaise sauce contains.

 

Make Everyday Life Easier

If the user has an invoice in front of them, they can ask for an OCR number, amount, last payment date, or what the invoice specifies. What was previously difficult is simplified, opening several possibilities and minimizing the effort for the user.

 

AI Phase 2 with Image Interpretation and Handwriting Interpretation

In May 2025, AI phase 2 was launched, adding number of new functions to MagniLink Viewer when using AI. It is now possible to interpret and read out handwriting, as well as use image interpretation to describe objects, images, and diagrams.

 

Handwriting

With OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and TTS (Text to Speech), it has been possible to scan, interpret and read out printed text. Up until now, it has been difficult to interpret handwriting effectively. With the help of AI technology, this now works really well – meaning users can get help from their video magnifier to interpret and have handwritten notes, letters, and more read out and presented on the screen.

 

Image interpretation

With image interpretation, new and exciting possibilities open up. Here are some examples of what the technology can be used for:
 

  • Describe objects in front of the camera. For example, users can get help interpreting the denominations of the banknotes or coins placed under the reading camera. They can also get a total amount. If a fruit is placed under the camera, users can find out what kind of fruit it is, its color, and additional information about it.
     
  • Interpret graphs, tables, and diagrams. A long-time challenge for users of video magnifiers has been reading and interpreting diagrams, tables and graphs, as they often miss the whole picture when magnified heavily. Now the user can ask questions such as "How high is the largest bar?", "What percentage do the yellow bits in the diagram make up?", or "Describe the graph".
     
  • Mathematics. Users can present an equation in front of the video magnifier, take a picture, and get help calculating the equation. In addition to the answer, users also get a detailed and educational description of how to arrive at the answer, helping them understand how to solve the task. It is also possible to ask for alternative solutions or how to think when calculating the task.
     
  • Description of images. With AI, users receive a detailed description of images and can also find out details that are not visible to the naked eye. For example, users might learn that an image is a portrait of a woman and that the woman is Astrid Lindgren and can ask follow-up questions about her.
     
  • Description of rooms and environments. With the video magnifier pointed into the room, users can get a description of what the room looks like and what is in it. They can choose between a short summary or a detailed description.

 

How Do I Get Access to the AI Functions?

You can purchase an AI license as an add-on for MagniLink Viewer, a software that you download from Apple's App Store, and use on an iPad when connected to one of our video magnifiers: MagniLink iTAB, MagniLink Mini, MagniLink S or MagniLink AIR. For those who have already purchased an AI license, users will gain access to the new AI features introduced in phase 2 by updating the app.

 

Contact us for more information or to order a license. There is also a 15-day trial license available for those who want to test the features.