Interactive and Accessible Sign Language Translation - AccessibleTranslation

Project Information

AT

Grant agreement ID: 875918

DOI

10.3030/875918

Project closed

EC signature date 29 July 2019

Start date 1 August 2019

End date 31 January 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

NEVISOFT BILISIM TEKNOLOJILERI SANAYI TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI
Türkiye

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AT (Interactive and Accessible Sign Language Translation - AccessibleTranslation)

Reporting period: 2019-08-01 to 2020-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Hearing-impaired people who go to public or private institutions have great difficulties in expressing themselves and understanding others. The main reason for this is that there are no sign language interpreters or sign language personnel in public or private institutions.
Accessible Translation aims to permanently solve the communication problem of deaf and hearing-impaired people in their daily life. They will be able to handle their work without the need of an interpreter, a sign language speaker or trained staff in sign language. Our platform provides a real-time captioning, it captures and translates sign language into audio, it also transforms audio into sign languages, and it also translates text into sign language. It can be easily integrated into different platforms. The Accessible Translation project aims to provide solutions to the communication problems of hearing-impaired individuals, to enable them to develop socially and to provide them with equal opportunities.

The social impact of AT will contribute to the equality of opportunities by eliminating barriers confronted by people with hearing impairments.

Its objective is to re-integrate three million deaf people into society. Nevisoft’s work is managing to eliminate obstacles in order to deliver equal access to education and the pursuit of opportunities.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the Phase 1 process, studies were carried out for the International Sign Language and a database was created with the International Sign Language. As a result of the feedback we received during Phase 1, the AT PDF Plugin, one of our integrated solutions, was developed. This plugin is integrated into PDF documents, enabling the content to be translated into sign language by the human sign language interpreter model.

Nevisoft filled 2 more patents to protect our innovation:

1- Improved Translation Management and Kiosk System for the Hearing Impaired
Patent Application Number: 2019/00738
Patent Application Date: 17.01.2019

2- Instant Sign Language Translation Method from Voice / Text to Sign Language for the Hearing Impaired
Patent Application Number: 2019/00498
Patent Application Date: 14.01.2019

We’ve also identified the list of countries with the highest deafness and hearing loss in Europe. Accessible Translation will enter the assistive technologies market in Germany, Italy, France, UK, and Spain.

UK market analysis was carried out together with our coach Simon who supported our project. As a result of this analysis, the first entry into the market will be in the UK assistive technologies market through a direct sales channel. It is aimed to work with the British Deaf Association, which supports and aims to enable deaf and hearing-impaired individuals to communicate in their native language and access information.
In addition, it is aimed to introduce Accessible Translation and to explain why hearing-impaired people need this product in the conferences and events to be held by participating in the British Assistive Technology Association, where there are assistive technology providers and companies producing solutions in this field.

As a result of the feasibility market research we conducted during the Phase 1 process, it was learned from the UK Charity Action on Hearing Loss that the hearing-impaired individuals in the UK had less reading difficulties than other countries. However, it has been learned that deaf or hearing-impaired children have difficulty learning to read and have failed. Therefore, entry to the UK market will be through systems that will help deaf and deaf children access information and learn to read in the field of education.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

We have carried out a Market State-of-the-art analysis to check currently available solutions. Companies in the assistive technology sector that produce solutions for the hearing impaired and sign language have been observed.
As a result of this analysis, it is seen that Accessible Translation is more innovative than its competitors in the solutions it offers and the technologies it develops.
Accessible Translation has three unique features:

1- Real-time two-way communication: Accessible Translation can instantly translate from sign language to spoken language, from spoken language to sign language.

2- Real Human Model Interpreter/Translator: Current solutions compared to use avatar or 3D animation character. However, a real-time translation system, which translates from spoken to sign language, uses the human model as a translator in order to allow two-way communication in Accessible Translation.

3- PDF Translation Plugin: Many competing applications translate the webpage and given text into sign language with animated characters. Accessible Translation can be used on web pages, text, etc. As well as translating into sign language, it also translates the content of PDF files into sign language with a real human model interpreter.

Another unique feature of Accessible Translation is that it performs a real-time two-way sign language translation without the need for special equipment or sensor. There is no equivalent current solution that has produced such a technology internationally.
Another advantage of Accessible Translation that overlooks its competitors is that it supports all sign languages thanks to its flexible infrastructure. When competitors capable of translating sign language were observed, it was observed that technology was developed for a single sign language.

Since Accessible Translation has a flexible infrastructure, it supports all sign languages in the world. International sign language and German sign language will be available in the next version. Other sign languages will be quickly integrated in line with demand and market.

The expected result of the Accessible Translation project is that it becomes a standard that can be used to solve the communication problems of the hearing impaired in many institutions and organizations such as hospitals, universities, and banks.

We aim to solve communication problems that hearing-impaired and deaf people face in daily life. It provides real-time two-way communication from sign language to text / voice and voice / text to sign language.

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