Conduct | Sign Language to Voice Device Concept

Many people who are deaf or hard of hearing work with sign language interpreters to communicate. I’ve been to many meetings where sign language interpreters were present and they are very good at their job. However there is not an overabundance of interpreters and because they are people they require scheduling and a salary. Industrial designer Sarah Saville of Detroit, MI has designed a device that provides another option. Her Conduct device is a sign language to voice concept for presentation purposes.

Parts and Operation
Conduct is comprised of three main parts. A Kinect like camera, an iPad with Conduct app, and a speaker stand. The iPad is placed into the speaker stand with the Conduct app activated and then the camera is placed atop the iPad. A person then signs in front of the camera. The camera then recognizes the signs and translates them into audio through the speakers. Interpreted signs also show up as text on the iPad screen for verification that the signs are being translated properly. The app can be customized to speak in different voices and languages.

Uses and Potential
Since this is a one way communication device, Conduct is best for presentations. The speakers would work for a conference room setting and audio could be hooked up to a sound system for larger venues. If a voice to text feature was added to the app, then Conduct could also function for 1 on 1 conversations.

Conclusion
Conduct is a concept idea that is feasible and could be very useful. The technology exists, it’s a matter of creating software that can recognize sign language, recording all the signs, and making sure it’s accurate. For more info on Conduct visit this website. To see more of Sarah Saville’s portfolio visit this website.