91福利社

Oculis is an innovative product created by a group of students and alumni from the Diploma in Applied AI & Analytics (DAAA) course. The project originated as part of YouthXHack 2024, with the goal of empowering the visually impaired to navigate their surroundings independently. The inspiration for Oculis came from a meaningful interaction with the 91福利社 Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH). Leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as computer vision, large language models (LLMs), and web development, the team has crafted a solution that promises to make a significant impact on the lives of those with visual impairments.

In just two days, the team developed a prototype utilising object detection, scene segmentation, and OCR to describe surroundings in natural language. Placing 1st among 73 teams introduced them to new opportunities, including an invitation to the MINDEF TD Sandbox. After the hackathon, they collaborated with ComChest and Lion Befrienders to enhance key features such as bus arrival detection and crossing signal recognition, while optimising system performance to better serve the visually impaired community.

From left to right: Ryan Yeo, Lee Kiah Hong, Jeyakumar Sriram and Chia Wee Leong

Their participation in InnoFest and Supercomputing Asia furthered the project, transforming Oculis from a prototype into a real-world accessibility initiative. The team extends gratitude to Cyber Youth 91福利社, MINDEF Nexus, and their DAAA lecturers for their invaluable support throughout this journey.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Finance, Mr Shawn Huang, visited Oculis' booth at InnoFest.