Zappar’s new smartphone tech supports blind consumers with product information access

20 Jun 2022 --- Zappar has developed “Zapvision,” a cutting-edge computer vision technology and code system which aims to help blind and partially-sighted consumers access information from products on supermarket shelves and cupboards at home via their smartphone. 

“Zapvision and our D3 QR codes are all about simplicity. Utilizing their existing QR code connected-pack infrastructure, global consumer packaged goods brands can deploy accessible packaging at scale,” says Connell Gauld, CTO and co-founder, Zappar.

“For the blind and partially sighted community, the technology presents an easy way to identify products and access the important information that’s otherwise only available visibly on pack.” 

Societal responsibility
There are currently 285 million people worldwide with visual impairment and 39 million are registered blind. Two billion people globally wear corrective glasses. Identifying products and accessing relevant product information is a daily challenge for many. The company believes through a technology solution, it can help make that a problem of the past.

Zapvision says its mission is to provide access to relevant product information to everyone as a basic right, regardless of their visual acuity. The company wants to remove any barriers for brand owners, retailers and large corporations to implement this solution on their products, packaging and signage by providing them with a scalable and cost-effective solution that can benefit the blind and partially sighted community.

“At Zappar, we’ve been exploring different approaches to code scanning, detection and localization for a number of years for different use cases. With Zapvision, we have an opportunity to allow all consumer packaged goods brands and retailers around the world who are already embracing QR codes on their packaging and signage and truly believe in their social responsibility and brand purpose to simply and cost-effectively improve the lives of millions of people,” says Caspar Thykier, CEO and co-founder at Zappar.

Zappar’s D3 QR code.“It’s a beautifully simple solution to a global problem. It doesn’t solve all the issues affecting the blind and partially sighted community as they navigate the world around them. But it is an important part of the jigsaw to a more inclusive and accessible society.” 

Zapvision
The new scanning technology builds upon a standard QR code to enable scanning from a distance and to deliver relevant and personalized content that adapts to smartphone accessibility settings.

The company calls the QR code a “D3 QR code” (named D3 for its “dot-dot-dash” pattern placed around the corner of a standard QR code).

A “D3 QR code” (patent-pending) printed at 15 mm in size can be detected at over 5x the distance (115 cm) of a normal QR code when scanned through an app featuring our free SDK on a smartphone.

Brands can implement this D3 QR code on packaging at scale without having to create any new code scheme, use up any additional space on pack, or introduce new printing processes. That means it is easy for brands to implement while also making it easier for partially-sighted customers to find their products, either in-store, or on the shelf at home, and instantly access the product information they need. 

How does Zapvision work?
Zapvision will work in any accessibility app featuring the Zapvision SDK (or the free-to-download Zapvision app as of Q4 this year on iOS and Android) via the camera function. The Zapvision SDK will also be made available for free for any developer to integrate into their existing native apps, says the company.

1. With the app’s camera function running, point the camera in the direction of the product. At around 1.15 meters away, a 15 mm D3 QR code will be detected – that’s over 5x the scanning distance of regular QR codes from a mobile device. 
2. Zapvision will announce the category of the product and its physical distance from the user through text-to-speech. It can detect multiple codes simultaneously in the camera view, allowing the user to select which product they’re most interested in at home or on store shelves.
3. As you move closer, at around 70 cm, Zapvision can announce the relevant product information provided by the brand or manufacturer – for example, to call out product format and variant, the product benefit, specific allergens, ingredients or other information within the on-pack data that could be important. That’s still three times the distance of normal QR code scanning performance.
4. When scanned in an app that doesn’t feature the Zapvision SDK, the QR code directs the user to the standard URL chosen for that pack by the brand, such as a promotional microsite.

Edited

By Natalie Schwertheim