STUDENT CLEVERLY INVENTS GLOVES THAT CAN TRANSLATE SIGN LANGUAGE
It was quite difficult to communicate with someone who spoke a different language before tools like Google Translate and AI became commonplace. However, communication with people from different cultures is now much simpler as a result of technological advancements. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing frequently cannot gain as much from these tools as those who are able-bodied.
SignAloud gloves are the result of the collaboration of two University of Washington undergraduates who aimed to reduce the communication gap between sign language users and non-users by translating hand gestures into text or speech. They were awarded a $10,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize in 2017 for their inventive invention, which is still revolutionary today. When Thomas Pryor and Navid Azodi first got together as freshmen, they discovered they had similar interests in solving problems. They were majoring in business administration as well as aeronautics and astronautics engineering at the time. While Pryor was an undergraduate researcher in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics' Composite Structures Laboratory and the software lead for the Husky Robotics Team, Azodi obtained additional technical experience as a systems intern at NASA.
In order to translate American Sign Language (ASL) hand gestures into spoken words and phrases in real-time, they created the SignAloud gloves. Every glove has sensors that measure hand positions and movements. A computer receives the data wirelessly through Bluetooth. Like a neural network, the computer uses statistical regressions to process the gesture data. It uses a speaker to speak the word or phrase that corresponds to the gesture it recognises.
"Many of the currently available devices for translating sign language are not suitable for daily use. According to Pryor, some require video input, while others have sensors that encompass the user's entire arm or body. "Our gloves are ergonomic enough to be used as an everyday accessory, similar to hearing aids or contact lenses, but they are lightweight, compact, and worn on the hands."
Azodi and Pryor were determined to create a tool with practical applications. "We created these gloves with the intention of creating a user-friendly link between American Sign Language native speakers and the general public," says Azodi. "Initially, the concept was inspired by our mutual passion for creativity and problem-solving. But we also wanted to make it more widely available because we think that communication is an essential human right. Their amazing SignAloud gloves took first place in the "Use It" undergraduate category, which honours technologically driven innovations that enhance consumer electronics.
Young inventors are still pushing the limits of technology today. Currently working at Astrolab as an avionics engineer, Pryor is dedicated to "Building rovers for the moon!" Azodi works for Accenture as a Technology Consultant in the interim.