VIPPSTAR - AI AVATAR

The VIPPSTAR Avatar is a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) companion that supports visually impaired children and adolescents in everyday life. Running on a smartphone or tablet, it lets young people talk to it to read printed text, describe what is around them, identify colours, find objects and set reminders, combining voice with the phone's camera and simple touch controls. Its purpose is to build confidence and independence in daily routines, from getting ready in the morning to finding the way in unfamiliar places, with safety, privacy and trustworthy answers treated as central to its design.

The Avatar is developed by the technical partner Spindox Labs, and the Interaction Design Centre leads its co-design. Interviews and creative sessions with young people, families and professionals in Ireland and Italy shape what the Avatar does and how it behaves, and we are now ready to test early versions with young people for feedback and re-design directions. 

If you are interested to partake or just want to know more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

People: Cristiano Storni, Siddharth Gulati

Funding. European Union, Horizon Europe, Grant Agreement No. 101156763