LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: 20-Year-Old Khalifa Aminu Builds AI Smart Glasses To Help Visually Impaired Nigerians

Growing up in Kano, Nigeria, Khalifa Aminu saw daily mobility struggles faced by visually impaired neighbors. Driven to help, the self-taught innovator began designing sensory glasses using affordable, locally sourced electronics like ultrasonic and infrared sensors.

The prototype was a real device tested by a visually impaired man in his community. His feedback directly shaped upgrades like swapping alert beeps for clear voice prompts, reducing hardware size, and adding wireless controls.

Now 20, Khalifa has unveiled Glass V2. This upgraded version integrates artificial intelligence and camera tracking to give wearers richer spatial awareness beyond basic obstacle detection.

His work caught the attention of Nigeria’s National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, inviting him to Abuja to demonstrate the technology’s potential for local production.

Local civic groups like the Kano Patriotic Front have since stepped in with workspace support and funding.