By Lighthouse Guild Tech Pals Mentor, Michael
Transcript
Hello, my name is Michael from the Tech Pals program at Lighthouse Guild. Today, I’m going to be talking to you about an app called Seeing AI and a feature within the app called Product.
The Product channel allows you to scan the barcode of any item you may find in your home or in the store. It will then provide you with basic information about the item. Now, let’s do a demo, and I’ll show you how it works.
How to Use the Product Channel on Seeing AI
To begin, when you open the Seeing AI app, you’ll be on the default channel of the app’s choice, and your camera will be active. What you want to do now is look at the bottom of your screen, where you’ll see a list of available channels. Look for the one that looks like a barcode. If you’re unsure what a barcode looks like, it’s a series of vertical lines side by side.
For us, you’ll see that the barcode option is the third channel available. Once you select it, the app will announce that you’re now in the Product channel.
If you’re using VoiceOver, swipe from left to right on your screen until your phone announces “Channel.” Then, swipe up from the bottom of the screen until you hear “Product.” You’re now in the correct channel.
Scanning the Barcode
To begin scanning, find the product you want to identify—whether it’s at home or in the store. Most products will have a barcode, either on the back of the item (like this can) or on the bottom (like a box of cereal).
Take your phone and point it at the barcode. There’s no need to capture a picture, as the app will automatically scan when it detects a barcode.
For example, here, I’m holding a can of Del Monte Fresh Cut French Style No Salt Added Green Beans. Once the phone identifies the barcode, it will capture the image and display it on your screen. At the bottom, you’ll see the description or name of the product.
To the left of the description, there’s a Share button that allows you to share the name of the product, and to the right, there’s a More Information button. If you click on More Information, you’ll see the product name, followed by a description, ingredients, and nutritional information.
Troubleshooting Tips and Enhanced Features
Here are some extra tips to keep in mind when using the Product channel:
- Barcode Scanning Tips:
When scanning the barcode, make sure there’s no distortion or reflection from light that might interfere with the scan. If this happens, the reader may have trouble reading the barcode. You can fix this by rotating the product or moving to an area with better lighting that doesn’t reflect off the barcode. - Enhanced QR Code Scanning:
Another feature available in the Product channel is Enhanced QR Code scanning. This allows you to scan accessible QR codes, which are black-and-white squares arranged in a random pattern. You might find these codes on the front or back of certain products, although not all products have them.
When you point the camera at a QR code, the app will beep and provide an auditory description of the item. This enhanced feature can be activated within the app settings.
We hope this tutorial helps you use the Product channel in Seeing AI. Be sure to check out the other tutorials in this series for additional tips.
Additional Resources
- Visit the technology sectionof the Lighthouse Guild website
- Sign up for monthly Tech Talk online discussions and Tech In-Session in-person workshops on the latest assistive technology
- Learn more about our Tech Palsprogram, which provides training on mobile devices
- Read articles about technology for people with vision loss
- Listen to our “On Tech & Vision” podcast, where we talk to people with big ideas on how technology can make life better for people who are blind or have low vision.
Disclaimer: The provision of products or resources by Lighthouse Guild to its clients is for educational, informational, and research purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement of any product, device, developer, vendor, or manufacturer.
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