Echo

What it does

Echo smart glasses display real-time speech-to-text in the wearer’s vision, enabling seamless, hands-free communication while maintaining eye contact. Unlike other solutions, Echo enhances accessibility and inclusivity with accurate, natural interaction.

Your inspiration

Studying in Sydney, we noticed their auditory crossing signals; once while we were using the crosswalk the beep on a nearby crossing went off which nearly led us into the road. As hearing individuals, we thought about how hard that must be for those of harder hearing. For 466 million people with hearing loss, unclear cues are daily risks. In classrooms, workplaces, and crosswalks, they face barriers and isolation. Transcription apps break eye contact and demand screen focus. Echo solves this: smart glasses that project real-time speech-to-text directly into the wearer’s vision, enabling seamless, inclusive communication in any environment.

How it works

Echo is a pair of smart glasses built to provide real-time subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Using a small microphone module, the glasses capture nearby speech. This audio is processed by a Raspberry Pi—neatly built into the glasses' frame—which converts the speech into text instantly. That text is then displayed onto a transparent OLED screen embedded in the lens, allowing the wearer to read conversations in real time without blocking their view. The display appears like floating subtitles, enabling natural face-to-face communication and maintaining full awareness of the environment. The system is fully self-contained: no phone, no Bluetooth, no internet required. A compact battery powers the glasses for hours of use. Echo removes the need to look down at a phone or tablet during conversations, making communication seamless, hands-free, and more human—whether in classrooms, workplaces, or everyday interactions.

Design process

The first step after coming up with the idea was to sketch out what the device could and should look like. We explored several design concepts and narrowed them down to three: a watch, a pair of glasses, and a set of goggles. We then carefully evaluated each option against two key criteria—does it enable seamless, hands-free communication, and is it unobtrusive enough for the user to wear comfortably and confidently? The glasses design best met both criteria, so we moved forward with it. Next, we began identifying the components needed to build a functional prototype. With input from university engineering technicians, we created a component list: a Raspberry Pi Zero, a Waveshare transparent OLED display, an I2S microphone module, and a Pi Camera. Once the hardware was decided, we divided responsibilities—one team member focused on the physical design, ensuring it was ergonomic and visually appealing, while the other focused on integrating the electronics. We successfully built our first working prototype, where speech could be transcribed and displayed in real time. After that, we began working on the object detection feature. While it wasn’t as polished as the speech-to-text system, it was functional and demonstrated the potential for future development.

How it is different

What makes Echo unique is its fully self-contained design—no phone, Bluetooth, or internet connection is needed. Unlike existing solutions that rely on smartphone apps or external devices, Echo integrates everything into a single pair of glasses using a Raspberry Pi, microphone module, and transparent OLED display. This allows real-time speech-to-text to appear directly in the wearer’s field of vision, hands-free and without breaking eye contact. Most current solutions require users to look down at a screen, disrupting natural interaction and situational awareness. Echo’s transparent display preserves connection with people and the environment, making communication feel seamless and human. While other smart glasses exist, they often focus on notifications or entertainment. Echo is purpose-built for accessibility, designed specifically to solve a real, daily problem faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in conversations, classrooms, and public spaces.

Future plans

Next, we aim to streamline the prototype by miniaturising the electronics and integrating them more seamlessly into the glasses frame. This includes refining the Raspberry Pi setup, shrinking the microphone module, and optimising battery efficiency for all-day use. We're also developing object and speaker identification, so users know who is speaking and what’s around them. On the business side, we plan to begin small-scale testing with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, gather feedback, and prepare for manufacturing. Our long-term goal is to make Echo an affordable, everyday accessibility tool worldwide.

Awards