Bengaluru Student’s AI-powered Innovation: Smart Glasses to Empower the Visually Impaired

Nineteen-year-old Tushar Shaw from Bengaluru, pursuing second-year engineering student from Scaler School of Technology, has crafted not just a gadget but a gesture of social imagination. His creation, Perceivia — intuitive glasses for the visually impaired — earned him a place among the national winners of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is the company’s flagship education programme that challenges young minds to identify real-world problems and develop solutions using technology. This year the four winning teams from the themes AI for a Safer, Smarter, and Inclusive Bharat; Future of Health, Hygiene, and Well-being in India; Environmental Sustainability via Technology; and Social Change through Sport and Tech, received a grant of ₹1 crore incubation support at IIT Delhi.

Perceivia is designed to help visually impaired users perceive their surroundings through sound. Using an integrated suite of audio sensors, object-recognition cameras, and AI-based spatial analysis, the glasses detect and describe what lies ahead — from identifying objects and estimating distances to recognising human voices and faces. The device alerts users through subtle vibrations or real-time voice feedback, creating a kind of “sensory map” of their environment.

“I grew up next door to a visually impaired neighbour,” Tushar recalls. “I saw firsthand how daily tasks like crossing a road, identifying people, or locating objects could become monumental challenges. I knew I had to create something that gave them a sense of independence.”

At the time, he admits, his ambition far outpaced his technical competence. “I had no background in computer vision or hardware design,” he says. “But Samsung Solve for Tomorrow gave me not just the resources, but also the confidence and mentorship to bridge that gap.”

“I used Gemini 2.0 Flash for screen description and built facial and object recognition features using datasets contributed by visually impaired volunteers,” he explains. “Their feedback helped me identify gaps in the prototype — what worked in theory often needed to be rethought in practice.”

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow programme, which invited thousands of young innovators across India to develop solutions for the nation’s most pressing challenges, gave Tushar both the stage and the support system to bring his idea to life.

“We were taught how to understand markets, conduct research, and engage with potential partners. It was a crash course in how to turn an idea into an enterprise,” says Tushar.

Tushar’s project was selected by a distinguished jury comprising senior Samsung leadership and experts from academia, government, and industry. His innovation emerged as a winner under the theme ‘AI for a Safer, Smarter, and Inclusive Bharat’, one of four focus areas in this year’s competition — alongside Future of Health and Hygiene, Environmental Sustainability through Technology, and Social Change through Sport and Tech.

For Tushar, the triumph marks both an end and a beginning. “Winning Samsung Solve for Tomorrow has opened doors I hadn’t even dared to knock on,” he smiles. “I want to collaborate with brands specialising in accessibility tech, refine the product’s design, and make it affordable for people across India. I’m also continuing my studies — there’s still so much to learn before I can build something truly transformative.”

In the coming year, he plans to test Perceivia with a wider group of users, gather feedback from mobility trainers, and integrate features for indoor navigation. His ultimate goal? To make the device as ubiquitous and indispensable as spectacles — not a luxury for the few, but a right for all.