Eclipse experience is part of AT&T Aria project, which connects visually impaired with a human agent
James Boehm remembers seeing an eclipse when he was in middle school. Then, when he was 30, Boehm lost his sight. Now, using an Aira wearable connected to the AT&T network, Boehm is able to interact with the world around him in a new way.
Called Aira Explorers, users wear connected smart glasses, which connect with a remote human agent who can see what the user would be seeing through a camera.
When I’m with my family,” Boehm writes, “I use this connection to connect with them. My agent describes what my twin nephews doing, what are they getting into, what they’re wearing, what they’re playing with, if they’re smiling. That’s why I am excited to share this next eclipse with them. I wonder what they will think of their first eclipse experience and can’t wait to see the expressions on their faces as they watch the moon move in front of the sun, see the world get dark and feel the temperature drop.”
In terms of directly experience the eclipse, AT&T staff from the Atlanta Foundry worked with Georgia Tech’s Sonification Lab to “take images and data points from past eclipses, include data points from the eclipse on Aug. 21, and turn them into sounds that showcase what is happening in the sky.”
“I think Aira really started to peel back the onion on unlocking new experiences for the visually impaired and you know this is just the kind of work that we appreciate,” said Nadia Morris, Director of AT&T Foundry for Connected Health. “It really shows the power of the network and how that can enable things that have never been possible before.”
“To be able to experience it just like everyone else,” Boehm says, “will be a great example to show people that all aspects of life should be made accessible to people with disabilities.”
