‘Durbin is not just an app, it’s a companion for the visually impaired’: Samiul Islam
Z Tech built the AI app Durbin to help visually impaired people move around, read and manage daily tasks. Its managing director talks about the idea, the features and what comes next.
Of the 32 innovations from 20 organisations at the Telecom Digital Innovation Fair 2025, Z Tech’s Durbin AI stood out. The artificial-intelligence app is designed to make moving around, reading and daily life easier and more independent for people who are blind or have low vision. We spoke to Mohammad Samiul Islam, managing director of Z Tech and an IT entrepreneur, about the idea behind it, how it works and what comes next.
Q: What is Durbin AI, and what was the thinking behind it?
Samiul Islam: Durbin is an AI-based image and video processing app built for people who are blind or have low vision. Our core idea was that a visually impaired person should be able to understand their surroundings and move around independently, without depending on someone else. We want to use technology as a form of human support.
Q: How does it work?
Samiul Islam: The app uses the phone’s camera to capture the surroundings and analyses the scene in real time. It identifies what objects are where and tells the user by voice, whether it is a chair, a wall, a tree or a moving car ahead. You could call it an AI assistant that reads the scene and gives spoken guidance.
Q: What other features does it have?
Samiul Islam: Besides detecting objects and obstacles, it recognises Bangladeshi banknotes and says their value. It can scan and read aloud books, medicine packaging, recipes or office documents. While walking, it tells you when to turn left or right and warns you about obstacles ahead. We plan to add many more features.
Q: Is it only for visually impaired people?
Samiul Islam: It was built for them first, but the technology has wider uses: number-plate recognition and accident analysis for traffic management, ID verification at borders and immigration, voice-guided banking, and applications in agriculture, disaster management and education.
Q: How many people have used it so far, and will it be free?
Samiul Islam: We are in the testing phase. About 200 users are trying it, and the feedback has all been positive. The app will be completely free, so that money is never a barrier to anyone’s digital life.
Q: Who built it, and what are your plans?
Samiul Islam: A small team of four AI specialists is working on it. It was developed under the supervision of Jahangirnagar University’s Research and Innovation Centre (RIC), with support from the ICT Division’s EDGE and iDEA projects and the Bangladesh Computer Council. Our dream is to put Durbin in the hands of every visually impaired person in the country. With the right partners and funding, we can take it nationwide.