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The Japanese company SoftBank has developed an artificial intelligence system that can translate sign language into text on the screen in real time.
What’s going on
- The Japanese holding SoftBank is developing an application based on artificial intelligence that will translate sign language into text on the screen of a smartphone or laptop in real time.
- This project is based on a system for translating gestures into text, which is used during video conferences. It is reported that it is currently capable of translating up to 5 characters into Japanese.
- SoftBank began the first studies in 2017, in cooperation with the Tokyo Telecommunications University. A Japanese startup specializing in artificial intelligence, ABEJA, also took part in the development of an AI translator from sign language.
- To develop the app, ABEJA’s algorithms studied 50 videos that use sign language to detect signature movements for each signed word.
- Now the company is working to improve the accuracy of the system – it is noted that the algorithm must learn to read more than 100 variations of one gesture per word.
- This service is currently being provided on a trial basis to medical organizations in Tokyo and Fukushima. It is assumed that public access to the service will open in 2024.
- In the future, SoftBank plans to develop similar systems in other languages.
What does it mean
By 2050, the WHO estimates that nearly 2,5 billion people will suffer from some degree of hearing loss, of which 700 million will require rehabilitation due to disabling hearing loss. Despite the rapid spread of digital forms of communication, people with hearing impairments still experience certain barriers to live communication.
In Japan, there are currently more than 300 people with hearing or speech impairments who use sign language to communicate with others, and SoftBank hopes to make life easier for these people with the help of AI translator.
In addition to the Japanese company, the SLAIT startup is developing a sign language translator. In April 2021, the company introduced a publicly available translation system that can translate about 200 words and simple sentences using a computer and a webcam.