SIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR

Sign language is widely used now-a-days for communication. It makes possible to communicate
without spoken words. It is based on sign patterns, like body language, positioning and movements
of the arm and hand to communication between people. With the availability of internet, the use
of apps is very common among people. So for sign communication purpose many sign language
translator apps are available on google app store and windows app store. Many sign apps translate
English letters into American sign language(ASL). For example, Mimix Sign Language translator
is an app used to translate spoken letters or written letters into signs. The functions of this app
includes: conversion of spoken letters into sign language, written letters into sign language, text
into speech, sign language keyboard, sign language dictionary.

The basic purpose of this app is to help both deaf and hearing people in communication, sharing
ideas/thoughts and expressions with others people. This app provides features like more than 2500
sign language animations, good interpretation of spoken words and written English alphabets into
sign language, easy to use its interface, great learning tool, and strong and friendly support.

In hardware, also ASL language is used to convert English letters into signs. The apparatus that is
used for sign language translation contain sensor elements on hand, arm or shoulder to calculate
the statistics of gestures/signs.

Detection unit and Transceiver

Glove sensor
microcontroller

DETECTION UINT

915 MHz Channel

Serial
Base station Transceiver
Computer/Matlab
microcontroller

BASE STATION
 Flow chart oftosign
Sensor element is attached to microprocessor findlanguage
gesturestranslator
and as an output it produces voice
or written text. These sensor elements are attached on a glove. The glove which is used for sign
language translation contains flex sensors, contact sensor and accelerometers to collect data and
motion of hand and figures to differentiate English alphabets then the interpreter transmit data to
the base station. Data is shown on LCD or pronounces the English letters through speakers.
Sign language translator working is very simple. When the flex sensors output cannot be
differentiated, there contact sensor is used to differentiate between letters. Like letters U and V,
there is only one difference for them i.e. the distance of index and middle figure. Contact sensors
are used for the definition of finger touching and how fingers are turned towards each other.
Accelerometer detects the placement and motion of fingers. Hand gestures detect the letters J and
Z and for the letters G and Q, the only way to differentiate is there alignment while G is palm
facing sideways and Q is palm facing downwards.
The output from the sensors on the glove is then sent to Detection Unit. Detection Unit includes
detection unit and microcontroller and a transceiver. The flex sensor output is then digitized by
using analog to digital converter (ADC) after conversion signed letters to the base station.
Microcontroller is used to get from sensor to check either a letter is transmitted signed or not.
Output from microcontroller is displayed on LCD screen, speaker set, and a serial USB connection
to a computer.
Base station has two parts transceiver and microcontroller. Transceiver filters incoming
transmission. Base station microcontroller displays the letters on LCD. It also converts these letters
into audio and these letters can be listened by speaker. At the end the microcontroller is interfaced
with computer through serial port. For the coding of microcontroller C language is used and Matlab
interfaces the base station to the computer via serial port connection.