AI Generated Summary
- Highlighting the importance of the innovation, Williamjeet Singh explained that communication is at the heart of human interaction, yet hearing-impaired individuals often face barriers due to limited awareness of sign language among the general public.
- With this pioneering effort, Punjabi University has positioned itself at the forefront of technological solutions for accessibility, ensuring that language is no longer a barrier to equal participation in society.
- Vice Chancellor Jagdeep Singh praised the project, calling it “a life-changing innovation that will open new avenues of inclusion and interaction for millions of hearing-impaired individuals in India and beyond.
Researchers at Punjabi University, Patiala, have developed a system that automatically converts spoken Punjabi into Indian Sign Language (ISL). The innovation, funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, promises to transform how hearing-impaired and non-hearing-impaired communities connect.
The project is led by Williamjeet Singh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, with support from Amandeep Singh, Research Project Assistant. Their system integrates advanced speech recognition, natural language processing, and synthetic animation to translate spoken words into ISL gestures in real time.
Bridging Communication Gaps
Highlighting the importance of the innovation, Williamjeet Singh explained that communication is at the heart of human interaction, yet hearing-impaired individuals often face barriers due to limited awareness of sign language among the general public. The newly developed system addresses these challenges by converting Punjabi speech into ISL using sophisticated technologies such as the Hamburg Notation System (HamNoSys) and Signing Gesture Markup Language (SiGML).
To ensure natural and accurate representation, the system’s ISL dictionary captures both manual (hand gestures) and non-manual (facial expressions and body movements) features. “This platform empowers the hearing-impaired community to participate more fully in education, healthcare, and public services,” Singh noted.
Technology Behind the Breakthrough
According to Amandeep Singh, the system employs a dual approach, offering both synthetic animation and video-based sign presentation. A novel optimization technique enhances accuracy in translating spoken words into structured ISL scripts. Rigorous testing has shown the platform to be efficient, reliable, and practical for real-time use.
Accessible as a Progressive Web Application, the system supports multilingual input and is available on both desktop and mobile platforms. Beyond day-to-day communication, it also serves as a valuable educational tool for learning and practicing ISL.
Future Vision and Impact
The research team aims to expand the system to include additional languages, further widening its reach through a dedicated mobile app. Vice Chancellor Jagdeep Singh praised the project, calling it “a life-changing innovation that will open new avenues of inclusion and interaction for millions of hearing-impaired individuals in India and beyond.”
With this pioneering effort, Punjabi University has positioned itself at the forefront of technological solutions for accessibility, ensuring that language is no longer a barrier to equal participation in society.
