Imagine needing sighted assistance and just tapping a button to be connected quickly with someone who has been trained to help you. The agent both hears and sees either through your smart glasses or your smart phone (which are pointed wherever you want). He or she can describe your surroundings, describe an intersection, guide you through a busy airport, read your mail, or help you find a dropped object; there are an infinite number of uses for this kind of service. This is what Aira does. Aira (pronounced: eye-rah) provides "instant access to information" for people who are blind or visually impaired.
As stated on the Aira website: "Our name is derived from two interesting sources: the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence (Ai), and the ancient Egyptian mythological being and symbol known as the Eye of Ra (ra). Steeped in the mysteries of Egyptian mythology, the Eye of Ra has symbolized protection, healing, and the power to perceive and interpret both the seen and unseen in the universe."
After more than two thousand beta trials, the service became available in late 2016. Aira does not replace a white cane or guide dog. Amy Bernal, Aira's Vice President for User Experience, explained, "We are never going to compete with or replace a user's own skills. We're not going to replace a mobility aid. We really are there to be a benefit of information that a sighted person would have access to. That's the kind of information we're making instantly available to our user base." Aira is currently only available in the US, but they hope to be in other countries within a year.
Bernal added, "There are great tools out there but you have to use a lot of them to accomplish what Aira can accomplish. Our agent team distinguishes us from the combination of all those apps." Aira is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., Eastern standard time.
Using Aira
When you sign up with Aira, you will receive a pair of smart glasses and a small Mifi unit. The Mifi unit is a personal hot spot. Aira uses the AT&T network. There is no additional charge for this equipment. Aira users are called "explorers" and the people providing assistance are called "agents." An explorer's visual acuity can range from low vision to total blindness. As of this writing Aira's explorers range in age from late teens into the 70s.
There are four monthly subscription options:
- 100 minutes for $89
- 200 minutes $129
- 400 minutes $199
- Unlimited $329
Bernal said that most users take either the 200- or 400-minute plan. She added that Aira is trying to get their service paid by various state and federal agencies. For example, they are working with the Veteran's Administration so Aira can be covered as a device issued to a veteran.
The explorer downloads the Aira app on their smart phone, available for both iOS and Android. Through the app, the explorer activates a "Call Aira" button on the app's home screen and within a few seconds, an agent is speaking with them.
The Equipment
Once you have signed up with Aira, you will receive your smart glasses and a Mifi unit. Both pieces of equipment will be shipped in one box. The larger box has the glasses and the smaller has the Mifi unit.
The Smart Glasses
Aira ships two different glasses. Bernal said, "It depends on when a user signed up in terms of which hardware we were shipping. Today we do ship both. [Which one you get] depends on preference for shades, head shape, and other considerations the user may have."
One pair of glasses feels like a regular pair of glasses except the right frame is thicker than the left. There is a small rectangular camera lens unit with two buttons on top attached to the right frame. When wearing the glasses, the button furthest back is the power button. The one in front is no longer used. There is a charging port on the bottom side of the right frame. Total weight of the glasses and camera unit is very low, slightly less than two ounces.
Under the box insert is a charger, wall plug, cloth for cleaning the glasses, and a fabric case. The charger can work on AC or USB.
The second type of glasses looks like a pair of Google Glasses. They come in a zipper case. When the case is open, there are mesh compartments for the glasses, charger, and AC Adaptor. The glasses weigh 1.46 ounces. They do not feel as sturdy as the other glasses but they fit me much better.
The left frame of the glasses is metal and the right frame is plastic. The pair I received did not have any lenses. The camera is in the front of the right frame and the power button is on the end of the frame, by your ear. On the bottom of the right frame is the charging port. The charger is magnetic and will easily attach to the port. They can also be charged by USB.
When the frames are unfolded, the glasses will speak the battery level and announce that they are searching for Wifi. Once connected, the glasses will announce that they are ready for service.
The Mifi Unit
Aira mostly ships AT&T Mifi units. This unit measures approximately 4-1/2 inches by 2-1/2 inches by 5/8 inches. There are two buttons. The button closest to the side is the on-off switch. On the opposite side is the charging port.
The charging cable and AC adaptor are also in the box, underneath a cardboard lid. The charger can work on AC or USB.
Aira sometimes ships a Verizon Mifi device. It is oval shaped weighing 2.9 ounces and measures 2.25 by 3.4 by .55 inches. There is only one button on the unit. On the opposite side is the charging port. It can be charged by AC or USB.
The Aira App
The Aira app has five tabs on the bottom of the screen: Home, My Glass, WiFi, Usage, and More.
At the top of the home screen are two buttons labeled Glass and Phone. There are two ways you can contact Aira: from your glasses using the MiFi or from your phone using a cellular connection. Some data is used when contacting Aira from a cell phone. Below these buttons is a button labeled "Call Aira." Depending on which call method is selected, the button will say "Call Aira from Glass" or "Call Aira from Phone." Select the appropriate button and in a few seconds, an agent will respond.
The My Glass tab opens a screen that contains information about your glasses including whether they are connected to the Internet, battery level, and estimated time for usage. If using the AT&T Mifi, information about the MiFi unit including battery level and signal strength is also listed. There is also an option to shut down MiFi when you are done.
This MiFi information is not available if using the Verizon unit. However, the screen will have the MiFi's name. According to Aira tech support, they are aware of this situation and hope to resolve it soon.
The WiFi tab lets the user add a WiFi network. This is useful since the MiFi unit isn't necessary when on WiFi. There are edit boxes to add the network name and password. Once the WiFi network is saved, it can be set as your default network. Just remember to switch back to MiFi when not in range.
The Usage tab has information about your subscription and time used. Activating the "View My Usage Detail" button loads a screen with the date, time, length of time with the agent, and the agent's name. Activating an individual listing opens a screen for leaving feedback about the agent.
The More tab has information about your account, your profile, an inbox, your photos, an option to contact Aira, and other options.
Agents
Agents are not allowed to tell you when it is safe to cross the street; you must decide on your own. They may tell you that the light is green. They also do not express their opinions. They are trained to provide information. Bernal said, "Agents are there to serve as a set of eyes, not as a brain." As of this writing (August 2017) there are approximately 60 agents, but this number should increase significantly to around 200 by the end of the year.
Agents are located throughout the United States. It doesn't matter where an agent is physically since they can answer Aira calls from anywhere. Agents go through a rigorous training process. Erin Cater, Agent Operations Manager said, "We are recruiting top talent."
Aira looks for people who have at least two years customer service experience. Candidates then go through a pre-screening test which measures customer service and map reading skills. Cater said this test eliminates around 40 to 50 percent of applicants.
Those who successfully pass the pre-screening test are offered an interview; since they are located throughout the country, the Zoom conference program is used for the interview. Applicants are asked about their work history and are asked some situational based questions. Cater added, "As a surprise, the interviewees aren't aware of this in advance, we throw them on the dashboard." The dashboard is where an agent interacts with an explorer.
She continued, "Being an Aira agent is very unique so you never know until you do it whether it's something you're going to enjoy." Some candidates have dropped out after the dashboard session.
Successful candidates move onto the training phase, where they receive 20 to 30 hours of training before they are put on the dashboard under supervision. Cater explained, "It starts with an agent workshop which is about four hours long. That goes over Aira as a whole, company policies, where we came from, where we are going, and we get into the nitty gritty of the agent details. A good example is working with a user who is using a white cane versus a guide dog. As an agent, you assist them slightly differently. After the workshop, we do more trainings. One of the trainings is going over the details of our dashboard. Then we breakout into individual one-on-one training where our new agents are working with our blind and visually impaired staff and doing hands-on training where they're sitting with an agent analyst. The analyst is shadowing them and watching their behavior on the dashboard throughout this training. Toward the end of the training, our new agents shadow our veteran agents." Before an agent can work alone on the dashboard, they must pass a background check.
Aira's dashboard consists of Google Maps, where the agent can use satellite, map, and street view. Cater especially likes satellite view because it can zoom in and see details. The dashboard also contains the user's profile, including name, address, emergency contact, whether they use a white cane or dog, how much detail the user likes and whatever additional information the explorer wants to add. The dashboard shows the user's GPS location. The agent can take a photograph of whatever the camera is facing and can then manipulate the photo for a better view.
Cater recommends using the glasses for travel since they give the agent a better view. For tasks such as reading the mail, the phone is fine.
She added that Aira is working on having glasses in three different sizes.
Cater started out as an agent with Aira. She told an unusual story about helping an explorer read the scale while naked, because he was in a weight loss competition. Cater said, "Weird and strange tasks are few and far between. Our explorers are opening our eyes to possibilities we never imagined." She talked about a woman who had an Aira agent help her independently locate her father's grave in Arlington National Cemetery.
First Aira Session
The first Aira session is called "On-Boarding." Once you get your glasses and MiFi unit, an agent will call to go over how to work the glasses and MiFi, navigate the Aira app, set up your profile, explain what the agents can see, do at least one "exploration," and answer questions. The agent will ask if there is a special way you like to be guided: some people like a lot of detail while others do not. You might want to record this session since a lot of information is given.
I did two explorations as part of my on-boarding call. On the first, I asked the agent to read the label on a bottle of salad dressing and on the other, we took a walk near my house. I used the glasses for both tasks though I later found out that the phone camera is sometimes better. The agent gave clear directions about how to hold my head so he could read the bottle. Outside, he read street signs, described the neighborhood, and described the sidewalk.
After the session, the agent said to call if I had any questions or problems.
Aira Keynote at the National Federation of the Blind Conference and Convention
At the 2017 National Federation of the Blind's annual convention, Aira CEO Suman Kanuganti gave the keynote address. He announced some new features in Aira. In households with more than one family member who is visually impaired, Aira now has a Family Share Plan. Family members can share the glasses and subscription minutes.
Aira will be launching Chloe, their AI agent, to work with explorers through their smart glasses. Her first task will be reading, which can eliminate the need for a live agent. More capabilities will be announced in coming months.
BlindSquare, a popular GPS app for the blind, will integrate with Aira. This will provide even more information for explorers.
Priority Connectivity AT&T Network
Aira and AT&T have been working on improving Mifi connectivity between the explorer wearing smart glasses and the Aira agent. The two companies designed and are rolling out "Dynamic Traffic Management." This new network will insure that explorers get immediate access to Aira agents.
You can watch the entire keynote address here.
Part 2 of this article will feature experiences from Aira Explorers.
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