Smart devices activated with voice commands are a growing segment of consumer technology, but they can be challenging to access by those who use American Sign Language as their primary language.
Saying “Ok, Google,” or “Alexa” to start verbally interacting with virtual assistants that work with Google or Amazon systems, for instance, may not be user friendly for those in deaf and hard of hearing communities.
Researchers across disciplines at The University of Alabama are developing an innovative way for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities to better interact with devices or smart environments. The patent-pending technology leverages radio frequency sensing to enable a human-computer interface built from the start to recognize the language of the deaf community — sign language.
The UA team developed radio detection and ranging, or radar, and artificial intelligence algorithms for a miniature RF sensor as a promising way to advance technologies built for sign language. Initial work showed the concept, and the next phase is partnering with the deaf community to make it more robust and user driven.
“Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities are marginalized for their minority language status,” said Dr. Darrin Griffin, who studies interpersonal communication at UA. “They are generally not brought to the table for the access and inclusion they need. We are taking an approach to involve the deaf community when building these interfaces.”
Dr. Sevgi Zubeyde Gurbuz, who researches the design of next-generation AI-enhanced radars, leads the work to develop sign language recognition using radar and machine learning. The radar transceivers used are low-cost, low-power, small sensors designed for biomedical and automotive radar applications, which have a lower output power than cell phones
“Our focus is not really on translation of sign language, the traditional focus of American Sign Language research,” she said. “Instead, we are focused on how we can pave the way for more technology sensitive to ASL, and thus, more accessible to the deaf community.”
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