Deaf News: Microsoft Kinect used to live-translate sign language into text

Well, this sounds impressive. And it looks pretty impressive too.

Extract from an article onWired.com:

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have used a Microsoft Kinect to live-translate Chinese sign language into text.

Their software, which will be free for individuals, will allow a deaf and non-deaf person to overcome the communications barrier between them and chat freely. Typed text will be translated into sign-language, as currently exists, but then sign-language will be translated into text allowing two-way conversation.

It will require a device to relay the conversation, so will obviously not be as seamless as it would be if the non-deaf person put the effort into learning sign language.

Silvia says that the software was finished in late June, and will be launched later this year after further testing.

In 2012, a Spanish computer systems engineer Daniel Martinez Capilla also developed sign-language translation software for the Kinect, but for American Sign Language.

And here’s the video:

Check out our Supporters here: http://limpingchicken.com/our-supporters/