Fathom vs GuideDog Nav

The world isn't built for blind people. Fathom is. It gives you a feel for the space around you indoors, where GPS quits. Nothing to download, nothing installed in the building. You point your iPhone, walk in, and it works the first time, anywhere. I'm a legally blind product designer. I built the tool I kept wishing I had, instead of waiting for a sighted team to guess what I needed. Most of the time, Fathom says nothing. It speaks only when something needs you, so silence means the way ahead is clear. That's the part I care about most. A few ways to use it. Lookout talks you through the room as you move, calling doors, people, signs, and hazards by the clock, like "door at 2 o'clock, ten steps ahead." Snapshot tells you what's in front of you the second you ask. Both are free. The rest come with Fathom Plus. Go walks you turn by turn to a spot inside a building. Task helps you through one job at a time, step by step, like working a checkout kiosk. Live Task is a real conversation for the moment you're stuck, like finding your keys. And the Assistant ties them together. Tell it the whole goal, like getting checked in and finding your gate, and it builds the plan and walks you through it. Point at anything and Fathom tells you what it is, then reads what's written on it. Hold your arm out and point during Lookout or Go, no button, and it just answers, leading with the thing itself before any detail so you can move on as soon as you have what you needed. It's free, the same as Lookout and Snapshot. The part that keeps you safe is free, and it stays that way. It runs on your phone, with no signal and no account, using object detection, LiDAR depth on Pro models, and a buzz in your hand the moment something's close. The room takes on a shape you can hold. Safety shouldn't sit behind a paywall, so it doesn't. Fathom Plus is seven days free, then $12.99 a month. It renews monthly until you cancel in Settings. Live Task is the heavy one, so a busy month can reach its limit, and Fathom keeps working on your phone instead of going quiet. I'd rather tell you that than pretend it's endless. Fathom rides alongside your cane or your guide dog. It doesn't replace them. It tells you what it sees and stays honest about what it can't, so you're never working off false confidence. Your privacy comes first, and you're safe without ever signing up. Made by Unruly Vision, LLC. Questions: fathomvision.app Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

GuideDog Vision is a navigation assistant designed for blind and visually impaired individuals. Built as a student project, it uses your iPhone's LiDAR sensor, camera, and AI to detect obstacles, walls, stairs, and hazards in real time. How it works: - Automatic protection: constantly scans and warns about obstacles - LiDAR distance sensing: real-time measurements in feet - AI object detection: identifies people, chairs, vehicles, and more - Cloud AI: detects stairs, wet floors, doors, and hazards on scan - Voice alerts with haptic feedback Controls: - Hold screen: speak a voice command - Double tap: scan surroundings - Swipe left/right: check sides - Voice: "What's around", "Is it safe", "Left", "Right", "Scan", "Help" Privacy: - All detection runs on-device - Cloud AI optional, only on scan - No images stored, no account needed Works best on LiDAR-equipped iPhones (12 Pro and later). Camera and microphone access required. Built as a student project to make navigation safer for the visually impaired community.