Have you ever found yourself waiting for a microwave, and wished you could walk away and get a reminder when its done? Or maybe you are vision-impaired and would like an app to read aloud how much time is left on the machine. That’s what this app is for.
Devices such as microwaves, washing machines, and ovens often have electronic seven-segment displays to indicate how long until the machine is done (the ones in my house do, at least). SevenSeg uses state of the art computer vision techniques to extract the digits out of timer displays, with first-class support for seven-segment displays.
The app is not limited to timers- it should work for displays that are not timers as well. For example, it could also be used to read time displayed on a digital clock or the temperature display of a digital thermostat or oven.
Usage
The app consists of a camera view and an overlay with the best guess set of digits in enlarged text. When a digital display into view, the app will generate some haptic feedback and update the digits in real-time. If VoiceOver is active, the app will read aloud the digits as they are updated.
If the digits are tapped or the overlay is dragged upward, the camera is paused and the user is presented with some options based on what number was scanned. Dragging the overlay back down or tapping on the digits will return the app to its initial state and the camera will start capturing digits again.
Initially, the only option when the overlay is expanded is to schedule a notification for later, interpreting the captured digits as a timer. Feedback about other integrations should be added is welcome.
Troubleshooting
For best performance, ensure the seven-segment display is clean, well-lit and free of glare. If the target screen is glossy, you might have better success when holding the camera at a slight angle.
Discussion
Some discussion of the app can be found on reddit.
Privacy
This app needs access to your device’s camera, but does not collect any data. All image processing is on the device itself. If you would like to use the “Create Reminder” feature, you will also need to allow the app to set notifications. These are also only on the device itself, so no data is collected.
Limitations
Computer vision is challenging, and some digital timer manufacturers seem to think that they should make their timer displays as complex and glossy as possible. Indeed, digital timers have been around for a while and there is a huge range of designs.
I wish I could say this app supports all timers, but its possible it does not support one of yours. If you’d like me to try and support a particular timer, feel free to send me relevant pictures and info via email, keeping in mind that some timers or lighting environments will always be out of scope.
In any case, this app is provided as-is. Use it at your own risk. It’s really not suitable for situations where someone could get hurt.