Posted by admin in For people who are deaf or short of hearing, the use of mobile phones is mostly limited to text messaging. But everyone loves to talk, and they are no exception. Mobile phone videos have now opened up a new possibility for them to be able to talk, albeit using American Sign Language (ASL).
MobileASL, a project involving multiple universities, has developed a special algorithm that can compress the mobile phone video in such a way that it highlights the speaker’s hands. For achieving the contrast, the resolution on everything else is lowered. In this way, the video is reduced to such a small size that it can be transmitted through regular mobile phone signals. The project has already succeeded in developing the first prototype phone incorporating this new technology.
By using skin-tone sensing and motion tracking, the algorithm separates the hands from the rest of the image. After the identification of the hands, the mobile phone’s computer selectively raises the sharpness of the speaker’s hands. ASL users can then have a clear view of the hands and have little problems in understanding the signals. The small size of the video also makes it easier for American mobile phone carriers to handle.
Lead researcher Sheila Hemami, Cornell professor of electrical and computer engineering, said the technology is about much more than convenience. It allows deaf people “untethered communication in their native language” – exactly the same connectivity available to people who can hear.
In Europe and Asia, deaf people have been utilizing their mobile phones for sign language for years as their high-speed networks allow uncompressed video featuring clear hands without the need for any new program. Guess it’s time the Americans joined the party.
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