FastEcho¶
FastEcho is a Chrome extension that lets blind and low-vision users control websites through Polish voice commands.
The problem¶
Screen readers make the web accessible, but locating a control or completing a complex form can take considerable effort. Unlabelled buttons, dynamic menus and poorly described fields add further barriers.
Implementation¶
FastEcho is a Chrome extension for blind and low-vision users. It interprets Polish voice commands, reads the page structure and accessible labels, executes validated actions and describes the observed result. Users can hear responses through their screen reader or a local Piper voice.
What the prototype does¶
- Describe the current page and suggest available actions.
- Click controls, fill ordinary form fields and scroll.
- Validate action targets and compare the page state after execution.
- Repeat responses, adjust detail and handle confirmation questions.
- Deliver feedback through a screen reader, local Piper or Chrome TTS fallback.
Press Alt+Shift+A to start recording, and press it again to submit a command.
Architecture and privacy¶
The Manifest V3 extension works with a local FastAPI backend. The full voice workflow uses OpenRouter for transcription and model reasoning. Piper synthesizes responses locally.
Recognized sensitive data is masked in page context. The executor refuses protected fields and recognized CAPTCHA targets. Masking is heuristic, rather than a complete guarantee.
Audio is a separate data path
In real transcription mode, recordings are sent to OpenRouter before transcript masking. Do not dictate passwords or secrets.
Try it¶
The FastEcho quick start covers requirements, building the extension, starting the backend, local fixtures and Piper configuration.