“285 million people worldwide are blind or visually impaired. Nearly 5% of the world’s population – or 466 million people have disabling hearing loss.”
By stating this staggering statistic, a 17-year-old entrepreneur, Richard Black, begins introducing us to his groundbreaking technology known as “Halfcode.” Halfcode combines the functionality of glasses and the latest discoveries in A.I. technology to create what Black likes to call “A.I. for good.” Halfcode is essentially a wearable cellphone, however, not just an ordinary cellphone that is designed to place calls and look at the latest Instagram posts. Instead, Halfcode uses bone conduction, an HD camera, and hepatic vibration within the glasses to help bring both vision and auditory impaired individuals back to a normal, independent lifestyle.
Halfcode states a simple mission of “utilizing artificial intelligence as a means to augment our own intelligence.” Black does this by combining the power of human-like AI with the sleek, 55 gram, Halfcode glasses to provide users the ability to watch and take videos, correct hearing loss or single-sided deafness, connect with actual live assist individuals through the glasses by using the built-in microphones and noise-canceling technology; all while still being able to access all your Halfcode data on any Android or Apple device.
While Halfcode has already released its current glasses to the consumer market, Black says due to the nature of A.I. research, his company is constantly evolving and users can expect to see many editions to the product in the near future. Black refuses to let the massive hurdles of creating technology that possesses human-like learning stop him. He says, “when we combine machine learning and memory with human problem solving – together, we can create real change.” And real change he is creating, while Halfcode sits at just over a million in worth, Black reinvests almost all his total profit back into the company to continue its growth and produce new products. In fact, Black announced that during Q2 of 2020 he expects his company to release an AI-powered app to help teach kids and teens the elements of gun safety through creating an individually custom-made teaching plan on their cell phones.
To say the least, it is extremely exciting to see this new technology hitting the field, and taking a close look at Richard Black reveals an avid entrepreneur who is taking his passion for technology and turning it into an impact on the world. This 17-year-old businessman is a true example of how one single individual can take his God-given gifts and make an impact for good.
Richard Black can be found by following his website here:
https://halfcode.com/
Wow! This is such a phenomenal business to inform others about. There are many negative connotations around AI, as it is rightfully so, but the fact that Richard Black wants to actually use technology for genuine good is astonishing. He truly has the motivation to innovate and the heart to continue to grow in an ethical and morally sound way. Though his business is for-profit, knowing that he reinvests majority of the revenue is impressive and highly notable. You summed up the extensive science and technology behind Halfcode in a very clear and concise way. It is so interesting and revolutionary that Black could very well make this business into a multi-billion dollar company some day. How inspiring is it to have another 17-year-old entrepreneur see so much success? It gives me so much hope!
This technology is very interesting and certainly innovative for utilizing machine learning and AI in such a unique way. These glasses are for such a specific demographic of people, that I would think he must be inspired by a friend or loved one who has the disabilities the glasses serve.