Amazon to Introduce Alexa Accessibility Features: Eye Gaze and Call Translation

Amazon unveiled several new products, including two Fire HD 10 tablets for kids and a Fire TV Soundbar. Additionally, the company highlighted new Alexa features aimed at making its devices and services more accessible to a wider range of customers.

One of the new features is Eye Gaze on Alexa, which enables people with mobility or speech disabilities to use the voice-controlled assistant with their eyes. Users will be able to perform preset Alexa actions by gazing at their tablet, such as controlling their smart home, playing shows and music, and making calls. This feature will be available later this year on the Fire Max 11 Tablet at no extra cost, according to Amazon’s blog post.

Amazon also showcased Call Translation, a feature that will be launched for Echo Show and Alexa mobile app users in various countries including the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Call Translation allows users to have their Alexa calls automatically translated through on-screen captions in over 10 languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.

During the event, Heather Zorn, vice president of Alexa, emphasized that Call Translation will help all customers communicate more easily, whether they are deaf, hard of hearing, or have multilingual families.

Eye Gaze on Alexa utilizes state-of-the-art computer vision models that process data in real time, according to Amazon. Caretakers can customize the colors, icons, and Alexa actions that appear as tiles on the tablet screen. They can also create tiles that, when selected with a person’s eyes, prompt Alexa to speak frequently used words or phrases.

Users of the Fire Max 11 will be able to activate the Eye Gaze on Alexa feature in the Accessibility settings section.