What if life had captions–so that someone who’s hard of hearing didn’t have to miss anything?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

For XRAI Glass CEO Dan Scarfe and his team, that’s no longer a theoretical question.

Watching a beloved family member at a family Christmas gathering, Dan was struck with an inspiration.

And the end result: his London-based software brand’s new technology, which converts audio into subtitles!

“XRAI”, Dan says, stands for “extended reality artificial intelligence.” The AR software operates through an Android phone, transmitting to a pair of NREAL Air glasses, on which the wearer can then see captions in real time.

Best of all, if the wearer is hard of hearing, they don’t have to look directly at the speaker to understand their speech. They can be looking away or engaged in another activity while following the conversation.

The technology also allows the smart-glasses wearer to follow other audio sources, such as radio broadcasts or podcasts, in real time. And Dan says these current capabilities are just the beginning.

Dan shared the story of XRAI Glass’s new technology, currently in beta tests, as well as his favorite experiences and his vision for the future.

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• How Dan came to combine his passion for technology with changing lives through innovations;

• How a Christmas visit inspired him with the idea for the XRAI Glass software;

• What’s currently happening with the pilot program;

• Some of the other features in the works;

• How people might be able to participate in the trial;

• How the AR technology works;

• How the technology might distinguish different accents;

• Acknowledgements of the team behind the innovation;

• What Dan most enjoys as a technologist, getting the software to work in real time;

• A possible timeline for U.S. availability;

• One of the most valuable ways users are supporting the development of the technology;

• How the technology distinguishes between different speakers.