3D-printed robotic arm translates words into sign language
Scientists have created a robotic arm to translate spoken words into sign language gestures so that deaf people can understand what is being said.
ASLAN stands for Antwerp’s Sign Language Actuating Node – and the robot can be 3D printed from 25 pieces of plastic, meaning it costs as little as $560 to make.
The robot is called ASLAN and works by receiving information from a local digital network, then checking for updated sign languages from all over the world.
Erwin Smet, 57, who is responsible for the students who created ASLAN, said: “This will change life for the deaf community.”
“What we have seen in real situations is that there is a real gap and barrier between the deaf community and the real world – ASLAN can reduce that barrier.”
“The amount of hours of help that the deaf community can get via translators etc is really limited.”
“I see ASLAN as something being put in deaf people’s backpacks – they can carry it with them, to lectures, to anywhere – there is a need for this.”
Erwin explained that this robot is unique because of the low-cost nature of it and because it can be recreated anywhere by anybody who can use a 3D printer.
He said: “We started some years ago, with the idea that students who are not able to hear, could use some help in everyday life to communicate.”
“It should be something that is reliable, cheap and gives you the opportunity to program it with different languages.”
“We started with small steps – with just one hand, and then the wrist, and then the elbow too.”
“We began with characters, like individual letters in the alphabet. Then we looked at how we could translate the human hand simply into mechanics.”
“We didn’t need every single joint in the hand, so we went for 16 joints in total – all the research was done by masters students, to give them the opportunity to learn and design at the same time.”
“This is a low-cost robot arm, that, when fully developed, can change the lives of all people who use it.”
Erwin Smet, from Antwerp, Belgium, foresees ASLAN assisting some of the 70 million people who rely on sign language, within the next five years.