XRAI Selected for MOD Pilot to Improve Accessibility for Hearing Impaired Employees

In Augmented Reality News 

October 3, 2024 – XRAI, a provider of augmented reality (AR) software solutions, has recently been selected to supply AR glasses as part of a pilot program aimed at enhancing accessibility for employees with hearing impairments within the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). The trial program will explore the potential of using AR technology to improve communication for those with hearing difficulties by providing real-time subtitles on the lenses of the glasses.

The pilot program, which is set to last three months, is taking place at MOD Abbey Wood in Bristol. Employees in the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organization are among the first to trial the technology, which includes eight sets of AR glasses, provided by XRAI Glass under a £10,000 contract.

XRAI’s glasses are equipped to transcribe conversations into real-time captions and support translations in over 90 languages. According to DE&S, initial feedback from users suggests the technology could have a transformative impact on the daily working lives of employees who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Commenting on the trial program, Andy Start, CEO of DE&S stated: “At DE&S, we are committed to an inclusive working environment where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential. This pilot will determine if this technology can help staff do their job to the best of their ability.”

The aim of the pilot, which began recently on September 30th, is to assess the performance of the glasses in various scenarios, including one-on-one conversations, group discussions, and settings with significant background noise.

 

James Quinton-Prior, Engineering Delivery Partner (EDP) commercial manager involved in the trial, said: “I’ve been really impressed and see these glasses as a potential game-changer. Giving those in the deaf and hard of hearing community tools like this will allow us to break down barriers and more easily progress our careers.”

Catherine Wrigley, another DE&S employee who works in Helicopter Safety Governance, added: “Having the subtitles displayed in my line of sight will help stop the ‘tennis match’ in meetings as I try and find the next speaker. Other available software for subtitles can be very inaccurate and state things like ‘having a pasty’ when in fact it’s ‘having capacity’.”

The trial is being led by Chris Chennell, a senior architect on the DE&S Digital delivery team. Chennell stated: “The initial feedback has been really encouraging, and I’m very hopeful this will prove to be a really positive addition for our staff. The next three months will gather more feedback to help us determine the best way to assist our colleagues with hearing loss, whether it’s through this technology or something else.”

DE&S stated that if the pilot proves successful, the aim would be to expand the availability of the glasses across the MOD and potentially other government departments in order to provide staff affected by hearing loss with more tools to meet their accessibility needs.

For more information on XRAI and its real-time augmented reality closed captioning solutions, please visit the company’s website.

Image credit: XRAI Glass