Meta, Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera, and EssilorLuxottica Expand Access to Art Through AI Glasses

Today, Meta, Pinacoteca di Brera and EssilorLuxottica are proud to launch “Sensing Art – Discovering Masterpieces Beyond What Meets the Eye.” This pilot aims to explore how AI glasses can make art more accessible for people who are blind or with low vision – in collaboration with the some of Italy’s leading sight loss charities – the Associazione Nazionale Subvedenti (ANS), the Unione Italiana dei Ciechi e degli Ipovedenti (UICI), and the Fondazione Istituto dei Ciechi di Milano. In one of the first projects of its kind in the world, Pinacoteca di Brera will use AI glasses developed by Meta and EssilorLuxottica to enhance the experience for blind and visually impaired people. Over one million people in Italy are blind or visually impaired, and art and culture is one of the places where accessibility can be a challenge. AI glasses give people who are blind or low vision access to transformative AI technology that can help with everyday tasks like reading text, identifying objects and accessing information about the world around them. At Meta we believe the future is for everyone, which is why we wanted to bring together this partnership. How It Works at Pinacoteca di Brera The AI glasses have been integrated with the museum’s existing Grande Brera app, which includes an audio tour guide, developed by ANS for blind and low vision visitors. The tour uses the DescriVedendo method which translates an artwork’s shapes, composition and visual details into spoken words. When a visitor stands in front of one of eight selected artworks on the itinerary as part of this pilot, they can activate artwork recognition directly from the glasses and listen to the corresponding audio description through the open-ear speakers built into the frames. The open-ear speakers help the visitor stay fully aware of their surroundings and means they can engage more naturally with people around them. The itinerary is completed by short orientation tracks between one work and the next. Visitors can also choose to utilize additional tools available through the AI glasses: Meta AI allows users to ask questions about the context and surrounding environment Be My Eyes connects visitors through the glasses with sighted volunteers and qualified operators to receive real-time support in orientation and practical task management, both during the tour. Accessibility Is Built Together The pilot project was developed through phases of testing and consultation with blind and visually impaired people. Their direct involvement helped shape both the experience and how visitors access it. “When innovation addresses real needs, it can create tangible value in people’s lives. Technology reaches its greatest potential when it succeeds in making information and daily experiences more accessible, natural, and immediate – like with our AI glasses. It is through initiatives like this—born from an ongoing dialogue with people with disabilities — that we work toward a future with more opportunities for everyone.” – Maxine Williams, VP Accessibility Meta “Making heritage accessible means creating the conditions so that everyone can build their own relationship with art. DescriVedendo has for years represented an important part of our commitment, and today we can enrich it with an additional possibility, born from the encounter between cultural expertise, technology, and people’s experience. The Pinacoteca continues to be a place of experimentation in which to explore new languages and tools capable of bringing a universal heritage closer to an ever-wider audience.” – Angelo Crespi, Director of Grande Brera How to Access the Tour The tour will be available at the Pinacoteca di Brera upon reservation, with AI glasses available Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM. For booking details and further information, please visit the page at this link.

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