Painting the world for people who don't see color

It's often difficult to detect eye diseases such as cancer in infants and toddlers because they have trouble sitting still, but a new smartphone app is helping eliminate this challenge. Parents are able to scan photos of their child within the app, and using artificial intelligence, the app attempts to detect early signs of diseases.

AI software BabyChecker is a portable ultrasound tool that can be accessed through smartphones and allows community health workers to easily and quickly detect pregnancy risks in rural areas where access to care is difficult. So far, over 20 community health workers have been trained to use the technology, and more than 2,000 pregnant women have been scanned using the BabyChecker app.

Minnesota is purchasing “track chairs” with all-terrain treads for its parks that people with disabilities can use for free to access more areas and trails.

Virtual reality is being used to facilitate exposure therapy to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias by immersing them in virtual simulations to confront the problem at hand. Given its effectiveness, researchers and developers like XRHealth Inc. and BehaVR are working to make virtual-reality therapy more accessible by providing at-home treatment options.

In a country where the prevalence of blindness for all ages is 4.2% of the population, Zions Assistive Tech Solutions (ZATS) trains people who are blind on how to effectively use technology like phones and computers.

The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library is a branch of the New York Public Library system that offers a wide array of services for vision-impaired adults and children. They hold the largest physical collection of braille books in the country, as well as thousands of downloadable digital braille books, audio books, and newspaper subscriptions. Included amongst these offerings are also the Talking Books program which records and distributes their collection of 200,000 recorded books, hardware and software tech to help illustrate things like tactile maps or diagrams, and simple community classes.

As the number of people over 60 years old continues to rise, airports and hotels around the country are implementing features and senior-friendly design into their spaces. Some of the changes are simple – new benches, brighter lights, or luggage assistance – but some are much more complex, like installing systems that transmit airport announcements directly to a travelers’ hearing device.

An ophthalmologist has created a smartphone application that allows not just doctors, but also non-specialists such as teachers, to conduct eye tests. The application helps those living in remote areas to access a service they otherwise may not be able to get and also allows for the few ophthalmologists who live in the area to only see the cases that are deemed necessary.

Compared to India's population, the country is facing a shortage of eye doctors, but artificial intelligence may help close that gap. Partnering with Google artificial intelligence researchers, an eye hospital in India is working towards detecting diseases that can cause blindness by automating the process that leads to a diagnosis.

A new mobile app called Tarjimly connects refugees with much needed translation services, especially in times of emergency. With over 8,000 volunteer translators who speak over 90 languages, the adaptable app can break down language barriers in any situation in which a refugee has access to a mobile phone.