Raahi means "traveller"
Safer steps, spoken out loud.
RaahiSense is a free Android app for people who are blind or have low vision. It uses the phone's camera and on-device AI to spot obstacles and speak a warning, such as "pothole ahead, very close." It works fully offline, in multiple languages. India comes first, and it is made for anyone.
Coming soon to Google Play
RaahiSense supports a white cane. It never replaces one.
How it works
Spoken warnings
Every warning gives the direction (left, ahead or right) and how close it is: very close, near or far. It keeps watching, so you don't have to tap for each scene.
Walls and unknown objects
Trained on tens of thousands of images of real obstacles, from potholes, open drains, stairs, curbs and poles to auto-rickshaws, handcarts and cows. It also warns about walls and objects it can't name.
Approaching objects
It warns when something is coming toward you, such as a person or a vehicle.
Darkness and auto flashlight
When it gets dark, RaahiSense can switch on the phone's flashlight by itself so the camera can keep seeing.
"Hey Guide", plus buttons
Say "Hey Guide", then a command: "what's in front of me", "repeat", "louder", or "change language". On noisy streets, long-press a volume key, double-tap anywhere on the screen, or shake the phone.
Works offline
No Wi-Fi or mobile data needed. The AI runs on the phone itself, on low-cost, everyday Android phones, and keeps running with the screen off.
Pocket or handheld
Carry it hands-free in a shirt pocket with the camera peeking over the top, or hold it in your hand at chest height while you walk.
Many languages
Warnings start in English, with more languages, including Indian languages, on the way.
Watch the introduction
A narrated introduction, about 2 minutes long, with English captions. A full transcript is below.
Read the video transcript
Meet RaahiSense. Raahi means traveller. It is a free phone app for people who are legally blind or have low vision.
According to the World Health Organization, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have a near or distance vision impairment. On busy streets, potholes, open drains and traffic make every walk risky.
RaahiSense uses the phone's camera and on-device AI to spot obstacles and speak a warning out loud. For example: pothole ahead, very close.
Carry it hands-free in a shirt pocket, with the camera facing forward and peeking over the top, or simply hold it in your hand while you walk.
Every warning tells you the direction, left, ahead or right, and how close it is: very close, near, or far.
It is trained on tens of thousands of images of real street obstacles, from potholes and open drains to auto-rickshaws and cows.
RaahiSense helps at home, too. It warns about chairs, tables, sofas and beds, stairs, and people or pets in the way, so moving around the house is easier.
It works fully offline, with no Wi-Fi or mobile data, on low-cost, everyday Android phones. So it fits places where connectivity is patchy.
Control is hands-free. Just say, Hey Guide, then a command like: what's in front of me, repeat, louder, or change language.
On noisy streets, simply long-press a volume key, double-tap anywhere on the screen, or shake the phone.
It keeps running with the screen off in your pocket or bag, speaks warnings in multiple languages starting with English, and it is completely free.
And RaahiSense keeps getting smarter. As more people use it, it learns from real streets and homes, with sharing always optional and private.
Coming next: a standalone RaahiSense device with a small camera that clips onto your shirt, so no smartphone is needed.
RaahiSense. Safer steps, spoken out loud. A project by Dr. Chindanoor Rajesh. Reach us at raahisenseapp@gmail.com.
At home, too
RaahiSense helps indoors. It warns about chairs, tables, sofas, beds, stairs, and people or pets in the way, so moving around the house is easier.
Gets smarter over time
As more people use RaahiSense, it can learn from real streets and homes. Your privacy comes first:
- Strictly opt-in. Sharing is off by default, and you can turn it off or delete what you shared at any time.
- Still frames only, never whole videos, and only when the app is unsure or you say it missed something.
- Private on the phone. Faces and number plates are blurred before anything leaves the phone. No location is attached.
- Wi-Fi only, so sharing never uses your mobile data. Warnings always stay fully offline.
- Safe updates. Each new version is tested so that an update is never worse than the last one.
Research: does it really help?
We plan a careful, three-stage scientific study, with ethics approval and accessible consent, to find out whether RaahiSense makes walking safer.
- Technical testing. Measure how well it detects each type of obstacle, and how often it raises false alarms, on labeled photos and recorded walks.
- Obstacle-course study. Legally blind adults who use a white cane walk a course with the cane alone and with the cane plus RaahiSense, in random order, always with a sighted spotter. We measure contact with obstacles, walking speed, effort and confidence.
- Real-world study in India. People use RaahiSense in daily life for several weeks, sharing their experience of mobility, independence and near-misses through questionnaires and interviews.
Coming next
A standalone RaahiSense device with a small camera that clips onto your shirt, so no smartphone is needed.
About
RaahiSense is a project by Dr. Chindanoor Rajesh. It is free for everyone, built to run on everyday Android phones, and designed to work alongside the white cane.