About VedAI

Our Journey

The Challenges

Roughly 15 years ago, when we began our schooling, we quickly realized that for visually impaired students, education was as much a hurdle as anything else—perhaps even the greatest one. The challenges persist to this day, but back then, they were compounded by a severe lack of resources, awareness, and assistance. We often found ourselves putting in twice the effort as other students—typing out our own lessons, creating tactile diagrams, and more—just to keep up.
These struggles became even more pronounced when we decided to pursue STEM subjects for higher education, a path fraught with additional barriers. From being denied the opportunity to study these subjects outright to learning how to use a computer with a screen reader, the journey was both challenging and eye-opening. We saw not only our own struggles but also those of countless students worldwide and the generations that would follow.

The realisation

We were raised with the values of giving back and striving to make the world a better place. These principles shaped our belief in blending our passion for computer science with a desire to contribute to society. Accessibility, particularly in education, naturally emerged as the area where we could make the most meaningful impact. It was a challenge we knew intimately, and we felt a responsibility to help address it for others.

The Innovation

During college, the accessibility challenges in STEM reached their peak as we pursued engineering degrees. It was then that we decided to take a long-discussed theoretical idea from concept to reality, feeling we finally possessed the skills and that technology had advanced enough to support our vision.
For years, STEM accessibility had not been rocket science, particularly for large corporations, developers, and educational institutions with the right investments, resources, and awareness. Yet despite this, meaningful progress remained limited. With advancements in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, the barriers were lower than ever.
Thus, 'VedAI' was born: merely two students without financial backing or significant resources, only driven by a desire to make a difference and do good taking a leap headfirst into the unknown.

Why 'VedAI'

The name "VedAI" carries a deep meaning for us. It is a wordplay that represents both the bridge between ancient wisdom (Ved) and modern technology (AI), and "Veda I" - acknowledging that all the knowledge we possess and who we are comes from these ancient texts. We believe that this knowledge, whether in arts, sciences, or mathematics, can be made accessible to all through technology.

Making Accessibility a Reality

Advanced Document OCR

Our core technology transforms inaccessible PDFs into fully accessible formats. Through rigorous testing with everything from first-grade English textbooks to actual college STEM coursework, we've successfully developed an OCR system that handles complex content with exceptional accuracy. Having converted our entire university coursework, we understand firsthand the challenges and requirements of academic material.

Smart Image Descriptions

This is one feature we are most proud of. It doesn’t just offer both text OCR and image descriptions in a single step, seamlessly placing the images where they appear in the text for maximum immersion—a distinction that already sets it apart. More importantly, these descriptions aren’t simply generated by sending an image to an AI model and receiving an output. Our “smart” descriptions go further, the result of extensive training, fine-tuning, and user feedback from a diverse group, ensuring both accuracy and efficiency.

The description:

Context-aware: Takes into account surrounding text and the content’s purpose.
Essential details only: Focuses on the information relevant to the user’s needs in the given sinario.
Structured and concise: Designed to save time and reduce cognitive load for visually impaired users.

Imagine you’re trying to understand a complex diagram in a document. Traditional methods often result in either no description at all or overwhelming, unhelpful descriptions. VedAI bridges this gap by creating image descriptions that are structured, concise, and contextually relevant. Here's an example to illustrate the difference:

Scenario:

You’re reading a psychology research document that includes the following flowchart:

Description Generated by VedAI:

The image shows a diagram titled 'The Developmental Psychopathology of Anxiety.' It’s a flowchart-style diagram illustrating the interconnected factors contributing to anxiety disorders. The central node is labeled 'Anxiety Disorders' and is connected to five main factors:

Cognitive Biases

Parenting Influences

Physiological Influences

Temperamental Influences

Learning Experiences

Each factor connects to specific elements:

Cognitive Biases → 'Threat Schemas'

Parenting Influences → 'Insecure Attachment'

Physiological Influences → 'Autonomic Arousal'

Temperamental Influences → 'Behavioral Inhibition'

Learning Experiences → 'Traumatic Experiences'

The diagram uses simple oval shapes for each element, connected by lines with arrows to indicate relationships.

A Poorly Written Description:

The diagram titled 'The Developmental Psychopathology of Anxiety' uses light blue ovals and gray lines to depict a flowchart. The background is white, with a central oval labeled 'Anxiety Disorders' in bold black text. Five ovals radiate outward, each connected by thin arrows. The five labels are: Cognitive Biases, Parenting Influences, Physiological Influences, Temperamental Influences, and Learning Experiences. Cognitive Biases connects to 'Threat Schemas,' Parenting Influences to 'Insecure Attachment,' Physiological Influences to 'Autonomic Arousal,' Temperamental Influences to 'Behavioral Inhibition,' and Learning Experiences to 'Traumatic Experiences.' The arrows are medium gray with light shadows. The diagram also includes minor decorations such as small stars around key nodes.

Why VedAI’s Description Stands Out:

The VedAI-generated description focuses on the information most relevant to the user—omitting unnecessary details like colors, background, and decorative elements. It also organizes the content into clear sections, making it easier to navigate. This structured, context-aware approach ensures that users can quickly grasp the diagram’s core purpose without being overwhelmed by irrelevant details.

By prioritizing what matters most, VedAI’s smart image descriptions save time, reduce stress, and provide a seamless, immersive reading experience for visually impaired users. That’s why we call these descriptions smart.

Advanced STEM Support

From simple text and equations to complex mathematical notations, our system handles it all. We offer:

Raw, not rendered ASCII Math format for beginners – simple, intuitive text representation.
LaTeX/HTML rendered equations for advanced users, readable by screen readers using tools such as JAWS, VoiceOver's native math support, and NVDA add-ons such as MathCAT or Access8Math.
Support for complex diagrams and scientific notation.

Ensuring everyone can access and understand STEM content effectively.

Accessibility-First Approach

Our interface is designed in collaboration with special educators, disability experts, and students with various needs. This partnership ensures that:

Features are intuitive and truly useful in real educational settings
Navigation is seamless for all users
Interface remains clean and efficient
Regular feedback drives continuous improvement

Global Language Support

Knowledge knows no boundaries, so neither should its accessibility. We're committed to breaking language barriers:

Support for over 50 languages, including regional Indian languages
The ability to customise language for image description.
Coming soon: Localized interfaces for better accessibility

Your Trust, Our Priority

We understand the importance of data security in education. That's why we:

Implement end-to-end encryption for all your data
Maintain full GDPR compliance
Provide 24/7 monitoring and support
Ensure secure cloud infrastructure

Our Vision Forward

Seeking knowledge is a constant process. It is the one thing that isn’t constrained by who we are or what stage of life we may be at. We learn, grow, and constantly strive to better ourselves. VedAI's philosophy is to open the gateways to this knowledge base, put it to good use, and bring about positive change in the world.

Our work does not stop here. We are committed to continually expanding the platform with new features and updates. We value your feedback and encourage you to contact us to share your thoughts.

Drawing from our own experiences, here are some solutions already in the pipeline—solutions we wish we had during our education:

Interactive Math Editor: Reading STEM content is only half the battle—writing and creating it are equally crucial. This tool, which we longed for in high school, is a word processor—similar to ones such as Microsoft Word—that enables intuitive creation of mathematical content that is both visually appealing and accessible to screen readers.
Document Explorer: AI-powered assistance for navigating complex documents, making them more manageable and accessible.
Enhanced Image Interaction: Intuitive tools to explore and understand visual content, with the ability to ask our AI follow-up questions for deeper insights.
Localized Interfaces for Better Accessibility: Multilingual support for VedAI's interface, ensuring greater outreach and inclusivity.
And More: Exciting features in development that aim to further transform educational accessibility.

Have any suggestions? Reach out!

Partner With Us

We believe education should be accessible from the outset - not requiring extra effort from students or employees. Our philosophy is simple: when someone enters an educational space, accessible materials should already be there waiting for them. Join us in making education truly inclusive.

Our partnership program offers:

Customized solutions based on your needs
Flexible pricing options
Comprehensive training and support
Priority customer support 24/7
Early access to new features

Learn More