Ability Forum

Kr_iyer

Fri, Aug 22 12:05 PM

Washington, Aug 22 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a software that enables deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to use sign language - over a mobile phone. UW engineers got the phones working together this spring, and recently received a National Science Foundation grant for a 20-person field project that will begin next year in Seattle.

This is the first time two-way real-time video communication has been demonstrated over cell phones in the United States. Since posting a video of the working prototype on YouTube, deaf people around the country have been writing on a daily basis.

"A lot of people are excited about this," said principal investigator Eve Riskin, a UW professor of electrical engineering.

For mobile communication, deaf people now communicate by cell phone using text messages.

"But the point is you want to be able to communicate in your native language," Riskin said.

"For deaf people that's American Sign Language," Riskin added.

Video is much better than text-messaging because it's faster and it's better at conveying emotion, said Jessica DeWitt, a UW undergraduate in psychology who is deaf and is a collaborator on the MobileASL project.

She says a large part of her communication is with facial expressions, which are transmitted over the video phones.

The team tried different ways to get comprehensible sign language on low-resolution video. They discovered that the most important part of the image to transmit in high resolution is around the face. This is not surprising, since eye-tracking studies have already shown that people spend the most time looking at a person's face while they are signing.

The current version of MobileASL uses a standard video compression tool to stay within the data transmission limit. Future versions will incorporate custom tools to get better quality.

The team developed a scheme to transmit the person's face and hands in high resolution, and the background in lower resolution. Now they are working on another feature that identifies when people are moving their hands, to reduce battery consumption and processing power when the person is not signing. (ANI)

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080822/862/ttc-now-a-software-to-allow-the-deaf-to.html

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Unnimaxx · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject:

Great stuff, technology rocks!

thanks for sharing this,
cheers

kodakkal

Hello Iyer,

I appreciate your interest with hearing impaired by sharing this information to one and all.

with best wishes,

_________________
KODAKKAL SHIVAPRASAD,FUWAI,
Award Winner & Record Holder-International Biographical NOte.
PRO- www.disabilityindia.org/legalaid.cfm#1
Web:http://www.kodakkal.ning.com
http://www.giveindia.org/m-890-society-for-child-development.aspx

Sachin

Hi all,

Here's a video demonstrating how this works...

Best,

Sachin.

kodakkal

Dear Sachin,

While appreciating your interest in developing disability issue, I personally thank you for informing about a device especially for hearing impaired, your efforts in this regard is noteworthy, please keep it up. However there have a device called TTY for hearing impaired, but due to relay/ transmission tower problem it could not be available in india.

with best wishes,

_________________
KODAKKAL SHIVAPRASAD,FUWAI,
Award Winner & Record Holder-International Biographical NOte.
PRO- www.disabilityindia.org/legalaid.cfm#1
Web:http://www.kodakkal.ning.com
http://www.giveindia.org/m-890-society-for-child-development.aspx