How do I use Face Recognition on my OrCam MyEye?

To get the video tutorial to play, click on the video image below.

Face Detection.

You can personalize your OrCam MyEye by teaching it to recognize the people you know, which can be helpful when you need to identify people such as friends, family, and co-workers.

In addition, the face recognition feature can announce any unfamiliar persons by announcing
whether there is a child, young man or woman, man or woman, or multiple people in front of you.

You have three options to choose from when it comes to the face recognition mode. 

  1. Manual: Touch the touch bar once for the device to recognize learned faces or detect unknown faces. 
  2. Automatic mode: The device will automatically recognize learned faces only.
  3. Fully automatic mode: The device will automatically recognize learned faces or detect unknown faces.

You can also set the amount of time to wait before the device announces the same person again. This can be set between 5 seconds and 10 minutes.

All the face settings options are in the settings menu. Some settings can be changed using voice commands, but for the full list of settings it's best to enter the settings menu.

The easiest way to enter the settings menu is by clearly and slowly instructing your OrCam,

'Hey OrCam. Enter the user menu.'

Make sure to speak clearly and wait 2-3 seconds for the device to respond. If there is no response after 2-3 seconds then try again. Also make sure the device is awake.

Once the device confirms you are in the settings menu, if you swipe the touch bar from the back to the front you will move forward in the settings menu. If you swipe the touch bar from front to back you will move backwards in the settings menu. There are 11 settings categories and face settings is the 7th category. Follow the voice prompts.

Playing around in the settings menu is the best way to get familiar with all the personalization options available to you. 

Click here for layout of the settings menu.

Vocal commands available for face recognition:

To use these, either double tap the touch bar and wait for the long beep.

Or simply say 'Hey OrCam' before any of the below vocal commands:

  1. Set the Face Recognition to Manual.
  2. Set the Face Recognition to Auto.
  3. Start the Face Learning.

Learning New Faces.

  1. Stand approximately 3 feet (1 meter) from the person you want OrCam MyEye to learn and direct your OrCam MyEye toward their face.
  2. Long press the touch bar. The device will start making camera shutter sounds. Carefully follow the audio instructions. (Please see below the instructions for using the 'Hey OrCam' vocal command for learning new faces.)
  3. While recording the person’s face, ask them to speak, tilt or turn their head slowly in different directions, and make a few facial expressions. This will help OrCam MyEye record several views of the person in order to recognize them from different angles.
  4. When you are done, after 15-30 seconds, remove your finger from the touch bar.
  5. OrCam MyEye will chime and ask you to say the person’s name after the beep.
  6. After the long beep, say the name of the person.
  7. After a few seconds, OrCam MyEye will repeat your recording.
  8. Touch the touch bar to confirm the name or swipe the touch bar to record the name again. You may also double-tap the touch bar to abort the whole process.
  9. Upon confirmation, OrCam MyEye will chime and announce, “Person learned”.

Each time OrCam MyEye recognizes a learned face, it will replay your recording.

You can also use the Instruction, 'Hey OrCam. Start face learning' when the person is in front of you, instead of the long press on the touch bar. 

When you use the 'Hey OrCam' instruction, the device takes only a few pictures. This is best for people you are saving to your OrCam who don't wear glasses.

If you are recording the face of a friend or family member who wears glasses, it's best to use the long hold of the touch bar and get pictures of the person with their glasses on and off.

Notes on Face Recognition.

  • OrCam MyEye can only learn one face at a time.
  • For best results, make sure to learn one face at a time in an area with good lighting.
  • During the learning session, OrCam MyEye will announce if there are too many faces detected and request that you focus only on one face. OrCam MyEye will cancel the learning session should it continue to detect more than one face.
  • During the learning session, using the stop gesture will end the learning session. OrCam MyEye will make a low, double beep sound to indicate it has ended the learning session.
  • If OrCam MyEye fails to recognize a previously learned person, you can re-learn that face by following the instructions titled “Learn New Faces”.
  • If face learning is at first not successful, OrCam MyEye will assist you by announcing whether the person is too close or too far away or is not centered to you or is not facing you.
  • OrCam MyEye can learn up to 100 faces.
Below is a line drawing of an person wearing the OrCam MyEye showing how the laser captures a face of a person in front of them.