2023: Wrapping Up Our Year of Innovation at Envision
As 2023 draws to a close, we at Envision are filled with gratitude and excitement as we reflect on a year brimming with innovation, growth, and impactful milestones. Let’s take a moment to celebrate our key achievements and the strides we’ve made in empowering the blind and low vision community.
Launching new editions of the Envision Glasses
Our journey with the Envision Glasses has been nothing short of extraordinary and we strived to be more scalable and accessible as a startup in the assistive technology space. And in January 2023, we introduced the Read, Home and Professional editions of the Envision Glasses, increasing access to our groundbreaking technology. Back in September, we started piloting Subscription based model in the US for 150$ a month, offering an exciting new way for you to experience all that the Envision Glasses offer without hassle.
Breakthrough Changes To Envision’s AI
Our generative AI reached new heights this year! Right after ChatGPT’s, Envision’s lab quickly brewed up a monumental feature integrating the power of GPT-4 by OpenAI. ‘Ask Envision’ transformed the Envision Glasses into a more intuitive and interactive tool, allowing users to ask questions about scanned texts, and scene descriptions - making the visual world more accessible and our technology more conversational. We also amped up the AI behind our “Describe Scene” feature which now provides supercharged scene descriptions and creates accurate real time narratives on the scene captured.
Accessible QR (AQR) Codes recognition on the Envision App
We introduced accessible QR code recognition on the Envision app making everyday information even more reachable. Aside from the many Envision app 2023 updates, we are especially proud of this milestone because it involved a collaborative effort with companies such as Bayer and Unilever, which added AQR codes to their products. This is an example of how assistive tech and corporations can together execute simple innovative solutions. And in this case, it improves the shopping experiences of people who are blind or have low vision.
Recognition of the Envision Glasses as an MDR Device in Germany
A significant milestone was the recognition of the Envision Glasses as a medically recognized device in Germany. This acknowledgment widens the access of the Envision Glasses as it allows insurance companies to reimburse the glasses and relieve the financial burden. The blind and low vision community in Germany doesn’t need to think twice before getting their hands on our AI-powered smart glasses that increase independence and accessibility to the visual world.
Extra special features in the media
Our impact-driven story and cutting-edge innovation reached new heights in 2023. Our mission was amplified in major outlets this year but we are especially proud of Business Insider's recent coverage, which is close to amassing 1 million views, and touches on our 5G capabilities, new supercharged scene description, multilingual support and the community’s support. Sam Weavey from the Blind Life’s 2023 review of new features on the Envision Glasses, was also featured in this news piece.
Additionally, Envision captured the spotlight on mainstream television platforms such as the BBC TV and Radio, broadening our audience and reinforcing our position as leaders in creating accessible technology for the blind and low vision community. These collective engagements in 2023 have been instrumental in solidifying our presence and mission in the assistive technology space.
Looking Forward
As we gear up for 2024, we remain committed to our mission of fostering independence and inclusivity through technology. Stay tuned for more exciting developments as we continue to innovate and empower.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. Here’s to a future where possibilities are endless, and barriers are mere stepping stones!
