The World with Fresh Eyes: Anuj Chatriratna on ThirdEye, His Device to Help the Visually Impaired
They say you take for granted what you already have. This is true for the most part. We get so used to certain things, accustomed to a certain lifestyle, that when it’s pulled out from under us, we often scramble.
There is a level of privilege that comes with being able-bodied. We often see the visually impaired walking with the help of their guide stick or on the arm of a security guard—but what if they didn’t have to?
Anuj Chatriratna, an engineering student at Chulalongkorn University, asked this very question. It led him to the project ThirdEye, which took him all the way to the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA), where he and his team, representing Thailand, won second place. For his work on ThirdEye, he was also awarded the Digital Youth of the Year award.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your path to creating ThirdEye.
I studied at Assumption College, Thonburi, from grades 10 to 12 in their digital science program. I think my interest was sparked by the coding and programming in the curriculum.
During my time in the program, I participated in more than 50 competitions. This project, completed in my final year of high school, felt like it would be impactful for the community. I competed with this project in Thailand first, but when I qualified for APICTA, that was when I knew this project was really special.
I have been interested in computers ever since I was a child. It was a new thing when I was younger, and I found it fun to solve problems by using the computer and through coding. I think this background helped me to develop a serious interest in such things.
What inspired you to create ThirdEye?
What inspired me were the struggles I saw the visually impaired go through when they took public transportation, whether that was the BTS, the MRT, or the bus.
I asked some of these people what their main problem was in life, and many of them spoke about their quality of life in relation to moving around. They would fall, or be struck by an emergency pole, or even a person.
I wanted to build a device to help these people so they could get around by themselves.
Can you talk me through the process of building ThirdEye?
I competed with my friends in this competition, who were in different programs at my school. Where I was in digital science, they were in STEM. So, I brought this idea to my friends, and they helped to fine-tune it before we began building a prototype.
First, we coded the prototype on a computer but ended up making a smaller, more accessible device for people to use during transportation and outdoor activities. To build the device, I purchased all of the parts, such as the microcontrollers, to code it. I also had to use the 3D printer to create the frame that would fit the device.
The entire process took about three to four months, but the prototype only took a week. This is because I had to send the prototype within a week of qualifying for the competition. I also spent time after the original prototype to get feedback from users to improve the device.
How does the ThirdEye device work?
The camera of the device detects what is in front of the person, and then it transcribes the surroundings into text and audio, with the help of AI, before the audio is sent to the wearer through their listening device.
ThirdEye will detect a person, a pole, or anything that is harmful to the wearer and then determine, using mathematics, what is most harmful versus least harmful. Then it tells the wearer what to avoid, in order of priority.
The device needs a 120° angle camera to capture everything.
What’s next for you and ThirdEye?
Firstly, for ThirdEye, I think I want to make it a bit smaller because the device looks very big and chunky, resembling a phone. When you are visually impaired, holding up a phone might attract attention and strange looks.
If the size is reduced to that of a GripCam or a GoPro, I feel like it would be much more efficient for the wearer. I’m also improving the device to provide exact measurements of objects obstructing the wearer’s path.
I also just started university. I’m in my freshman year in Information and Communications Engineering. I hope to complete my degree in four years and pursue my career further in other fields, like quantum mechanics or going further into the field of computers.