EyeNote is a free app that makes U.S. paper money accessible to the blind and visually impaired. Created by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Eyenote app uses the native camera on an Apple mobile device to scan paper money. It then speaks the denomination and displays it in large numbers. The app can be voice-activated and uses "continuous recognition" technology so that there's no need to hold the phone or tablet still to capture a photo. It's easy to have the banknote in one hand and use your phone in the other. Either side of the bill works. It doesn't even matter if part of the bill is covered by your hand, although more than half of the note needs to be visible. EyeNote is not able to authenticate a note as either real or counterfeit.
A note should be six to eight inches away from the camera for it to scan successfully. The app has to scan more than half of the note to recognize it. Adequate natural or artificial lighting is necessary for proper scanning. The steadier you hold the device while scanning, the better it works. For best results, put the note on a flat surface.
Eyenote offers Spoken and Privacy modes. In Spoken mode, the app "speaks" the note's denomination and identifies if the note's front or back was scanned. For example: "Five Dollars Front" or "One Dollar Back." If a scan isn't successful, you'll hear, "Error, Reposition."
Another option for output is the Privacy mode. Privacy mode on the iPhone uses the vibration buzzer for the pulses. But on the iPod Touch and iPad 2, Privacy mode uses an audible beep for the pulses. When in Privacy mode, the app won't speak the denomination. Instead, it communicates results back with a pulse pattern.
Pulse patterns for EyeNote:
To set Privacy mode:
Go to Settings, then Sounds. Two Vibrate setting switches are on this screen. At the top of the Sounds screen, there's Silent, with a vibrate switch setting; this switch doesn't matter for the EyeNote to vibrate. Scroll down the screen, and you'll find another Vibrate switch just above Ringtone. Turn the Vibrate setting to ON for EyeNote to vibrate on an iPhone.
The Eyenote app is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. EyeNote is a free app. You can download Eyenote from the iTunes App Store.