Real-Time AI Sign Language Interpreter

Hearing loss and communication challenges impact the lives of millions of individuals, particularly those who are Deaf and hard of hearing. 43 million Indians and 466 million people worldwide suffer from debilitating hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This group struggles to find work, healthcare, and education in India. Given initiatives like the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities and the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, there are still gaps in ensuring full inclusion. By 2050, an estimated 2.5 billion individuals would have hearing loss, requiring 700 million people to undergo hearing rehabilitation, according to WHO estimates an extra 1 billion youths are at risk for unintentional hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. By bridging the gap between Deaf people and the general communication world, our project, the Real-Time Sign Language Interpreter, aims to overcome these obstacles. This innovative technology enables an uninterrupted communication by instantly translating hand movements into text and then speech using AI and machine learning. Our project provides the equivalent of Beyond: Communication access for people from the Deaf community, enabling greater participation in education, employment, and social life. Harnessing this technology can do a lot with relatively low investment which, in turn, can provide an immense social return by making services available to everyone, regardless of background or circumstances.