Skip to main content
European Commission logo
Enterprise Europe Network

Real-time communication system between deaf and hearing people

Summary

Profile Type
  • Technology offer
POD Reference
TOES20240902013
Term of Validity
11 September 2024 - 11 September 2025
Company's Country
  • Spain
Type of partnership
  • Commercial agreement with technical assistance
  • Research and development cooperation agreement
Targeted Countries
  • All countries
Contact the EEN partner nearest to you for more information.
Find my local partner

General information

Short Summary
A research group from a spanish University has developed a real-time communication platform between the hearing community and the deaf community using sign language. All this in a simple and bidirectional way through natural language processing techniques and the camera and the screen of a computer or mobile device. They are looking for companies interested in licensing or developing this technology for commercial use.
Full Description
In order to achieve communication between the hearing community and the deaf community using sign language as a means of communication, it has been necessary to develop two functionalities:

1) Sign to text: On the one hand, the platform recognises and interprets what a user signs in front of a camera, providing a transcription in text and voice (see Figure 1). The system that implements this functionality consists of a camera, which can be of any type, including those cameras integrated in mobile devices and tablets, which will be in charge of capturing the images of a person signing in Sign Language (SL). These images are processed by neural networks to obtain the signed signs, generating a sentence or complete text in SL. This text is the input to a third module in charge of its translation into Oral Language (OL) through a natural language processing (NLP) technique. The generated text is displayed on a screen that can be a computer screen, any mobile device or tablet.

2) From text and/or voice to sign: On the other hand, the platform obtains, from text or a voice message, the corresponding LS transcription and displays it on the screen by means of a virtual avatar (see Figure 2). Thus, in this case, the user will indicate the text he/she wishes to sign by voice, using any microphone or keyboard (including those that allow handwritten text to be typed). Once the text has been obtained, a Natural Language Processing (NLP) technique is used to obtain the text expressed in LSE signs. These signs are signed by a virtual avatar displayed on a screen, whether it is a computer screen, a mobile device or a tablet.
Advantages and Innovations
• This system works in real time, in a simple and fast way.

• It is able to recognise complete sentences, unlike other platforms that only offer sign-by-sign recognition.

• To achieve this communication, it is only necessary to have a mobile device with a camera and a screen.

• The accuracy of the system reaches 80-85%.

MAIN ADVANTAGES

• Allows two-way communication, i.e. conversion from sign to text, but also from text and/or speech to sign. Until now only sign-to-text conversion was possible.

• The system includes facial keypoints that allow for more accurate sign language recognition by including the analysis of facial expressions and vocalisation of signs.
Stage of Development
  • Available for demonstration
Sustainable Development Goals
  • Goal 10: Reduced Inequality
  • Goal 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions
  • Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • Goal 4: Quality Education
IPR description
Companies or entities interested in acquiring this technology for commercial exploitation through patent licensing agreements or for the development of the technology and its adaptation to the specific needs of their activity.

Partner Sought

Expected Role of a Partner
Companies or entities interested in acquiring this technology for commercial exploitation through patent licensing agreements or for the development of the technology and its adaptation to the specific needs of their activity.
Type and Size of Partner
  • SME 11-49
  • R&D Institution
  • SME 50 - 249
  • Other
Type of partnership
  • Commercial agreement with technical assistance
  • Research and development cooperation agreement

Dissemination

Technology keywords
  • 01003017 - Speech Processing/Technology
  • 01003024 - Cloud Technologies
  • 01003013 - Information Technology/Informatics
  • 01003018 - User Interfaces, Usability
Market keywords
  • 01006002 - Mobile communications, pagers and cellular radio
  • 01006004 - Communications services
  • 01002003 - Message forwarding, queuing and answering systems
Sector Groups Involved
  • Digital
  • Electronics
Targeted countries
  • All countries