This new technology is sure to break the communication barrier between the deaf and the hearing. The deaf face a lot of challenges in the society because they can not communicate effectively with the hearing lot. This is made worse by the fact that not many hearing people understand the sign language.
The deaf therefore find it difficult to communicate with normal people and for that reason they can’t get good education and therefore can not get decent jobs. They also find it very difficult to make friends.
Motionsavvy, a San Francisco startup has developed a new communication tool that will make the deaf have a good shot at leading a happy and normal life.
How It Works?
This product that they have called UNI is going to change the lives of millions of deaf and hard of hearing people in the world. It is a two way communication tool that can be used by the deaf and the hearing person to communicate easily with each other. UNI can be clasped into a tablet and its software is able to track hand movements of the deaf and translate it into English audio. The device is also able to capture the voice of the speaker and then display it in text format that the deaf can read.
Specifications
The device has two cameras: a 1.2MP front camera and a 5MP back camera. The cameras are able to capture the hand movements of the deaf person and project the image on a screen which people can see.
The device runs on Windows 8.1 operating system and is powered by an Intel Atom (Quad Core) processor. UNI has 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. It boasts an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels. The device has an inbuilt battery and a microUSB port. It uses the American Sign Language (English).
Launch
The device is now in the prototype phase after 10 months of development. It is expected to be launched in fall this year. It is now a rough but working prototype that is able to recognize numbers, the entire alphabet, and some basic introductory phrases such as “Hello…” The developers say they need to continue adding signs to their database and test the user-interface.
The funding for the device is currently going on at Indiegogo and pre-orders have already started on the company’s website.
