What is Aira?
Aira fuses mobile and wearable technologies and a distributed network of trained human assistants to provide people with vision loss the same or greater assistance they would receive from a sighted person next to them. Aira enhances independence with real-time access to visual, digital and environmental information. With real-time access to this information people who are visually impaired are able to more confidently navigate, freely explore and complete virtually any task.
- View subscription plans: https://aira.io/offset-prices/
- Download the Aira app to try: https://aira.io/aira-app
How does Aira work?
Aira fuses technology and human assistants–we call them Aira Agents–to deliver this transformative service. A tiny, forward-facing camera embedded in smart glasses or a users’ smart phone camera streams video to a dashboard incorporating that video with other sources including GPS, Google Maps, and services such as Uber. At these dashboards, professional Aira Agents who may be located hundreds of miles away see the Explorer’s world from the vantage point of the smart glasses and deliver real time auditory narrative or assist with other services on request. Aira Agents deliver the benefits of a sighted assistant but immediately on request and with enhanced access to environmental data.
Watch Aira in action:
Where are the Aira agents based?
Aira agents are located across the United States and connected via Aira’s network and agent dashboards. The platform architecture enables agents to be located anywhere but access information that is relevant for the location of the user. The proprietary dashboard equips agents with a wealth of sources beyond the video feed and enables them to personalize every user interaction based on location, information requested, or task that needs to be completed.
What does it cost?
Aira is a subscription service much like a cellular phone plan with several tiers based on minutes. The subscription provides all necessary hardware, mobile connectivity and agent assistance and start at $89 per month.
Aira Airport is also usage-based. The basic package provides 2500 minutes of user access to the Aira services and is $5000. As minutes are depleted, they are refreshed in 2500 minute blocks.
How do we make sure we always have minutes available?
Aira Airport partners receive a monthly usage report and can use this for planning based on actual usage. In addition, Aira will alert the site contact when minutes drop below a threshold of 250 minutes remaining. Minutes can be added at any time and usage patterns monitored with the monthly reports to adjust operational processes.
How will Aira users and agents know MEM is an Aira Airport?
Aira will communicate to users that MEM is now an Aira Airport. By design the transition to the airport site access is seamless and transparent to the user and service will be continuous. As with any location, Aira agents will access airport information or other information that is location relevant on request by the user.
Can I use the service at MEM if I am not a subscriber?
No. Aira users access the services through an application running on their smart phone, and only users with the application and an active subscription will be able to access Aira Airport in MEM.
Where can I sign up?
Individuals who wish to subscribe to Aira may visit the signup page at https://aira.io/offset-prices/.