NarrationBot and InfoBot: A Hybrid System for Automated Video Description

TL;DR

NarrationBot and InfoBot are a hybrid system that automatically generates and enhances video descriptions, significantly improving accessibility for blind and low vision users and enabling more efficient video content engagement.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel hybrid system combining automatic video description generation and interactive querying, enhancing accessibility and user experience for visually impaired viewers.

Findings

System improved user comprehension and enjoyment

No significant difference between autogenerated and human-revised descriptions

High user enthusiasm for the system

Abstract

Video accessibility is crucial for blind and low vision users for equitable engagements in education, employment, and entertainment. Despite the availability of professional and amateur services and tools, most human-generated descriptions are expensive and time consuming. Moreover, the rate of human-generated descriptions cannot match the speed of video production. To overcome the increasing gaps in video accessibility, we developed a hybrid system of two tools to 1) automatically generate descriptions for videos and 2) provide answers or additional descriptions in response to user queries on a video. Results from a mixed-methods study with 26 blind and low vision individuals show that our system significantly improved user comprehension and enjoyment of selected videos when both tools were used in tandem. In addition, participants reported no significant difference in their ability to understand videos when presented with autogenerated descriptions versus human-revised autogenerated descriptions. Our results demonstrate user enthusiasm about the developed system and its promise for providing customized access to videos. We discuss the limitations of the current work and provide recommendations for the future development of automated video description tools.