When innovative technology meets great design, our lives can become more convenient. Samsung Newsroom spoke with inspiring people who use Samsung products and features to unlock new possibilities and enhance their lives.

Exploring the World Together

It is only natural for parents to want to share special moments together with their children, especially as they grow curious about the world and find joy in discovering new things. For parents with visual impairments, exploring the world with children requires a different approach.

“This is an apple, and this is a puppy.”

Children often point at objects they don’t know as they grow up and learn about their surroundings. With Bixby Vision for accessibility, parents with visual impairments can find out what their children are curious about as the device narrates for them. Even if parents aren’t able to see what’s in front of them, they can experience the world with their children through sound.

[Bixby Vision for Accessibility]

With an easy setup and simple interface, Bixby Vision vocally describes what it sees, helping people make sense of the world around them. Bixby Vision supports scene describer[1], object identifier[2], text reader and color detector.

* On smartphones and tablets: Settings → Accessibility → Spoken assistance → Bixby Vision for accessibility

** Service availability and content providers may vary by country, device, OS and One UI version.

Enjoying the World Together

Everyone is different — even members of the same family. For CODA[3] families, hearing children converse with their parents who are deaf through sign language. As children grow up, parents want to learn more about what their children are experiencing and enjoying.

“Mom, look at that. Isn’t it funny?”

With Sign Language Zoom, it’s easier for CODA parents to better understand what their children are watching through a bigger sign language screen. Now, the entire family can enjoy their time in front of the TV and share even more laughter and joy together.

[Sign Language Zoom]

Sign Language Zoom automatically recognizes and enlarges the sign language area, enabling users who are deaf to see more detailed mouth and facial expressions. You can specify a sign language area and adjust the magnification by up to 200%. Users who are deaf or hard of hearing can also use this function to zoom in on a specific area of the screen, such as scores for sporting events or quiz programs.

* On TVs: Home → Menu → Settings → All settings → General & Privacy → Accessibility → Sign Language Zoom Settings
** Available on all Samsung Smart TVs released in 2021 or later.

Sharing With the World

Each and every one of us is different, with our physical abilities changing over time. Given the diverse range of experiences being lived by others around the world, it is important that everyone feels empowered to do what they want, meet who they want and live the life they want.

“I want to inspire people through social media.”

People with physical disabilities can seamlessly take, edit and share selfies on social media using the Assistant menu on Samsung smartphones or tablets. With the Assistant menu, everyone can use their personal devices to communicate and meet new friends.

[Assistant menu]

The Assistant menu lets you easily control your phone by simply tapping a shortcut icon to access hardware buttons, apps, features and other settings.

* On smartphones and tablets: Settings → Accessibility → Interaction and dexterity → Assistant menu

Staying in Tune With the World

For people who are deaf and hard of hearing, navigating the world can take a different shape. With this in mind, it’s important for them to receive everyday notifications in new ways.

“Light can become a language of its own.”

Light can help those who are deaf and hard of hearing receive the information they need in their day-to-day life. SmartThings uses lighting to notify users when someone’s at the door, when meals are ready or when the laundry is done. Light has become a way to communicate through SmartThings.

[SmartThings]

Sync your devices and appliances via the SmartThings app to control and get notifications about your air conditioner, washing machine, fridge and more.^* Then, connect partner products such as door sensors, lights and thermostats to automate and simplify your own day-to-day routine^** — like setting your smart light to dim or change colors once the laundry is done.

* To set notifications

• On smartphone and tablets: SmartThings app → Menu → Notifications → More (⋮) → Notification settings
• On TVs released in 2021 or later: SmartThings app → Settings → Notifications

TV notifications are limited to minimize any interruptions to the viewing experience.

** To set SmartThings routines

• SmartThings app → Automations → Add (+) Create routine

Possibilities Never Before Imagined

Samsung believes these stories can foster a world where all people benefit from the convenience enabled by technology.

Users with disabilities have utilized Samsung’s features in creative ways to enhance their lives — despite the fact that some functions were not originally designed as accessibility features. To this end, Samsung has provided new ways for users to interact with its products and services and has taken inspiration from real-life cases to develop stories with guidance from the Samsung Accessibility Committee[4] and Samsung Family Supporters[5].

Samsung hopes to continue creating accessible designs that unlock new possibilities so everyone will be empowered to lead meaningful, independent lives.

From the UX Team of the Corporate Design Center, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

* This article consists of stories based on interviews with people with disabilities and guidance from Samsung Family Supporters, an organization made up of Samsung employees and family members with disabilities.
** Illustrations by KIMUSTUDIO, an organization working with talented designers with developmental disabilities who create artistic pieces that challenge long-held stereotypes that have previously created prejudices in art.

[1] Scene describer mode currently supports English (US), French, German, Italian, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish (Spain).
[2] Object identifier mode supports 54 languages, which are the same languages supported in the translation feature.
[3] CODA is an acronym for Children of Deaf Adults, referring to children raised by at least one guardian who is deaf.
[4] The Samsung Accessibility Committee works closely together with designers and developers to continuously improve the accessibility experience for all Samsung users.
[5] Together with Samsung Family Supporters, consisting of Samsung employees and family members with disabilities, Samsung assesses the needs of users across the spectrum to create ease of use for all.

Visualize Your New Room

Samsung’s AR service, Bixby Vision¹, acts as a visual guide, allowing you to see more with your smartphone camera. The home décor function of the Galaxy S10’s Bixby Vision can show you how your home might look with new home appliances and furniture, virtually positioning them wherever you wish to see them. To enable the function, simply open up Bixby Vision, select the home décor function from the apps menu and point your camera to the area where you want to place home appliances or furniture. After choosing an appliance or piece of furniture, the object will appear wherever you tap on the screen. You can choose sofas, rugs, tables, fridges, or any other home product that you want, and virtually place them wherever you like.

The discovery doesn’t end there: Bixby Vision offers even more services that allow you to visualize your new appliances and furniture from the comfort of your own home. The AR service can apply a 3D effect to key Samsung home appliances, allowing you to see how doors open, for example. Collaborating with U.S. online furniture company, Wayfair, Bixby Vision’s home décor function runs automatically whenever you encounter 3D content on the website within the Samsung Internet app, enabling you to see what the product would look like in your room without leaving your house.

“We are planning to increase the types of home appliances and furniture that support the home décor function,” said Martin Lee of Product Strategy team at Samsung Electronics.

Check for the Right Fit

With the Galaxy S10 5G, you can make speedy assessments of an object’s dimensions without frantically searching for the tape measure. Using the 3D Depth Camera on the Galaxy S10 5G, the Quick Measure app shows you the height, width and length of the object captured by your camera. This feature makes it easier for you to buy a mattress that fits your bed frame, or a set of chairs that are the right height for your kitchen table.

¹ Service availability and content provider may vary by country and device.

Have you ever wondered what all these icons mean?

Built to learn all about you, Bixby is designed to make your smart devices even smarter. Bixby Vision* utilizes the camera of your Galaxy S9 and S9+ and AR technology to provide you detailed information about the world around you. The intelligent assistant is also harnessed with deep learning technology to understand your surroundings and execute your commands quickly.

Find out how you can enrich your experiences and add greater convenience to your life with our easy guide below.

When travelling abroad, language can be the greatest barrier to discovery as you try to find your way around. With the Live Translation function, Bixby Vision can capture the text it finds in an image and then provide an accurate translation of that text, deciphering words so you can be confident that you know where you are going. You don’t even have to take a photo. Select from 54 input languages and 104 output languages**, and the intelligent assistant will translate the text in real time on the screen.

Have you ever walked through a public space and seen a monument or landmark that you wanted to know more about? Bixby Vision’s Place Mode gives you more information about the places and spaces around you, from local attractions and landmarks to restaurants and facilities. Details about your surrounding area shift as you point the camera in different directions, syncing with your map app so that you can navigate easily to your chosen destination.

If you point the camera at the sky, Place Mode will generate weather information and a forecast tailored to your location.

Watching your weight, or just want to keep an eye on what you’re eating? Use Bixby Vision’s Food Mode to receive detailed information about calories and nutrition. You can log these details directly to your Food Tracker in Samsung Health, helping you to maintain a balanced diet. You can also check out recipes and videos of the dish, so that you can recreate a version of it at home.

A lot of time and effort is devoted to becoming a wine connoisseur but, if you’re looking for a shortcut, Wine Mode in Bixby Vision will furnish you with details about the bottle’s rating, as well as the vineyard it came from and suggested food pairings.

When it comes to makeup, nothing could be more fun than experimenting to find something that matches your personality and your complexion. Bixby’s Makeup Mode adds to the enjoyment by allowing you to try on makeup virtually. The mode intuitively understands the shape of your features and applies the makeup to the appropriate places. You can choose to see whole makeup “looks”, or mix and match individual lipsticks, eyeshadows, eyeliner and more to find a combination that’s right for you. Bixby Makeup Mode has also partnered with regional retailers to provide you with the latest colors and products, so when you find something you like, you can select the product and make a purchase in moments in their online store.

You’re out and about, when suddenly you see someone wearing the exact style of shoes you’ve been looking for. Bixby Vision’s Shopping Mode will search for the same or similar items for sale online, and direct you to the retailer’s website. You can also access the function through your Gallery app, so you can save an image and shop for it later.

With further functions such as QR code, Image Mode and Book Mode, Bixby Vision shows that there’s more around you than more than meets the eye. As you go about your daily life, the intelligent assistant expands the scope of your smartphone’s camera, allowing you to see to the wider world.

*Availability of each function or mode may differ by device and region. Samsung Account login and data network (Wi-Fi or internet connection) required.
**For the full list of languages please visit http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/apps/bixby/vision/. Devices released in China provide 10 input languages and 27 output languages.