Lego employs AI to translate instructions into braille and audio

The Danish toy company has launched a global trial with four building sets and hopes to release more next year depending on user feedback. Using the design script used by Lego creators, known as LXFML data, the Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence developed software that is able to turn the instructions into braille and English audio. The idea came about after blind entrepreneur and Lego enthusiast Matthew Shifrin previously relied on a friend to translate instructions into braille, which enabled him to build independently for the first time. After his friend died, Mr Shifrin was introduced to Lego's Creative Play Lab and decided to push for development of the technology: "This is extremely important for blind children because there aren't a lot of places where we can say'Look Mum and Dad! I built this on my own... I did this'," he said.