Pramit's app helps blind people use common apps
About 20 years ago, Pramit Bhargava found his life upended when an allergic reaction to a prescription drug affected his retina and left him with permanently damaged eyesight. The incident left a huge impact on Pramit's life – the sudden loss of independence, an awkward reliance on family and friends, and a feeling of impending disappointment.
He continued his job at Hindustan Unilever, but the inability to do the most menial things – like booking a cab or making a phone call – on his own, sapped his confidence. "For about 2-3 years, I was sitting at home, completely lost and dejected," says the 53-year-old who's an alumnus of IIT-BHU and IIM Bangalore. He worked with a few other firms before getting into consulting.
It was during one of his consulting assignments that he got the idea of developing an application that could help make technology more accessible for the visually impaired. "At that time, screen reader was the only technology available for assistance," says Pramit. "I remember taking a friend's help to book a cab home as I couldn't compare the prices or set the pickup location on my own. That was the moment I realised the importance of having a virtual friend," he says.
And thus was born 'Louie Voice Control', an app that helps visually impaired people use commonly used apps using only voice commands. The idea of quitting his job and launching a startup seemed intimidating, but with funding from a venture capital firm and with three developers on board, Pramit launched Visioapps Technology in June 2018 with its office in Gurgaon. His team now consists of 14 people, including three visually impaired developers.
What sets Louie apart from Siri or Alexa, Pramit says, is that it’s designed with the needs of visually impaired people in mind. "Most voice command apps offer support for only the most basic tasks in an application. Louie, on the other hand, helps users navigate within an app like a friend would do. On Uber, for example, it'll tell you the rides in order of increasing prices and provide every possible assistance until you reach your destination," says Pramit.
Louie, named after Louis Braille, has crossed 9,000 downloads on Play Store and has users in over 70 countries. Some of the technologies used in the app are developed in-house, others are leveraged from existing solutions, like Google's speech-to-text conversion. It currently supports Uber, WhatsApp, YouTube, Contacts and Messenger, and Pramit says they're working on many more integrations.
He continued his job at Hindustan Unilever, but the inability to do the most menial things – like booking a cab or making a phone call – on his own, sapped his confidence. "For about 2-3 years, I was sitting at home, completely lost and dejected," says the 53-year-old who's an alumnus of IIT-BHU and IIM Bangalore. He worked with a few other firms before getting into consulting.
It was during one of his consulting assignments that he got the idea of developing an application that could help make technology more accessible for the visually impaired. "At that time, screen reader was the only technology available for assistance," says Pramit. "I remember taking a friend's help to book a cab home as I couldn't compare the prices or set the pickup location on my own. That was the moment I realised the importance of having a virtual friend," he says.
And thus was born 'Louie Voice Control', an app that helps visually impaired people use commonly used apps using only voice commands. The idea of quitting his job and launching a startup seemed intimidating, but with funding from a venture capital firm and with three developers on board, Pramit launched Visioapps Technology in June 2018 with its office in Gurgaon. His team now consists of 14 people, including three visually impaired developers.
What sets Louie apart from Siri or Alexa, Pramit says, is that it’s designed with the needs of visually impaired people in mind. "Most voice command apps offer support for only the most basic tasks in an application. Louie, on the other hand, helps users navigate within an app like a friend would do. On Uber, for example, it'll tell you the rides in order of increasing prices and provide every possible assistance until you reach your destination," says Pramit.
Louie, named after Louis Braille, has crossed 9,000 downloads on Play Store and has users in over 70 countries. Some of the technologies used in the app are developed in-house, others are leveraged from existing solutions, like Google's speech-to-text conversion. It currently supports Uber, WhatsApp, YouTube, Contacts and Messenger, and Pramit says they're working on many more integrations.
All Comments (0)+^ Back to Top
Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.
HIDE