Articles tagged with Sign Language
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Researchers are working on a £3.5 million UK-Japan project to develop human-centred artificial intelligence for sign language translation, focusing on natural conversational Deaf data rather than interpreted signing.
Deaf women in Scotland face significant barriers to accessing support and safety due to the lack of specialist services. The Sign LOUD report calls for a national BSL Equally Safe Advisory Group to improve response and dedicated long-term funding for Deaf-friendly domestic abuse services.
Research finds infants with sensorineural hearing loss lack normal left-hemisphere language specialization. Early auditory stimulation and language exposure can help preserve brain development.
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University developed an innovative real-time ASL interpretation system using AI and deep learning. The system achieved a 98.2% accuracy rate with minimal latency, enabling fast and reliable performance for applications such as live video processing and interactive technologies.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed an AI-powered ring that can track fingerspelling in American Sign Language (ASL) with high accuracy. The device, called SpellRing, uses micro-sonar technology to capture finger movements and predict ASL letters in real-time.
A Cambridge study highlights the need for India to recognize its own sign language, Indian Sign Language (ISL), as a constitutional right. The study also calls for increased investment in education and training programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, including more schools and higher education institutions.
SignGPT aims to create a sign language AI model that translates between signed and spoken language, benefiting the Deaf community with enhanced accessibility and inclusivity. The project will produce open-source toolkits, web-based demonstrations, and outreach programs to promote equal access to information.
A new method has improved AI translation of sign language by adding data on hand and facial expressions, as well as skeletal information. This has led to a significant increase in accuracy, making it easier for people with hearing impairments to communicate.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University developed an AI system that accurately detects and tracks American Sign Language alphabet gestures using computer vision. The model achieved a detection process with high accuracy, recognizing complex hand gestures with an F1 score of 99% and mAP of 98%.
A new systematic review of 70 studies reveals strong relationships between sign language competences and spoken and written language abilities. The findings suggest that English-only approaches may not be suitable for d/Deaf students, who benefit from nurturing their bilingualism through BSL.
A global research team, led by Indiana University's Linda Smith, will investigate how shape perception influences language acquisition in children with typical and atypical developmental trajectories. The project aims to develop a cross-disciplinary theory of the dynamic interaction between language and cognitive systems.
A recent study from the University of Surrey found that remote medical interpreting (RMI) can compromise the quality of communication in healthcare settings. Interpreters reported mixed experiences with technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for careful consideration of interpreting methods based on the nature o...
Researchers propose that sign language classifiers are integrated into the grammar through pictorial representation, appearing in a comic book-like order. This visualization mechanism allows for greater flexibility and complexity in language, complementing standard words with iconic expressions.
A new paper in JCOM describes the development of an automatic translation app for sign language, designed through co-creation with deaf communities. The research team used a theatrical performance and AI tools to gather feedback from audiences, informing the app's design and features.
Research by Lancaster University found that people in higher social grades, including corporate world and education sectors, are adopting each other's speech patterns to be more inclusive. This 'resonance' has increased over the past 20 years, particularly among those with high social status.
Researchers at Lancaster University find that the 'r' sound is becoming weaker in England, with most young speakers softening it to an elongation of the vowel. This decline is predicted to continue, potentially erasing traditional dialects and linguistic homogenization.
A new dictionary provides a comprehensive overview of Shakespeare's language, revealing words with reduced mental ability and plant hybrids. The Arden Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's Language offers insights into the linguistic thumbprints of plays and characters, as well as the networks of character interaction.
A specialized weight loss program for Deaf people, designed and led by Deaf individuals, resulted in significant weight loss among participants. The Deaf Weight Wise program focused on lifestyle changes, social support, and cultural relevance, leading to a higher retention rate and better outcomes compared to mainstream programs.
Researchers found broad similarities in how deaf homesigners and hearing adults describe tool-related events, suggesting universal aspects of human thinking. The study suggests that these similarities reflect the extent to which a tool shapes the object it is being used on.
A University of Essex study found that over 90% of deaf people struggled to communicate while wearing masks, with 76% missing vital information and 59% feeling disconnected from society. The researchers hope their findings will inform public policy in future health emergencies.
A Northwestern University study found that physicians may deny care to people with disabilities due to bias and lack of knowledge about accommodations. The study's results suggest a need for changes in medical education and approach to improve accessibility for patients with disabilities.
A recent study found that American Sign Language (ASL) features a copula called SELF, previously thought to be absent. Researchers tracked the evolution of SELF through historical records and social media videos, discovering a pattern termed the 'copula cycle' that spans over 150 years
Researchers used AI to analyze videos of over 2,500 ASL signs and found that challenging signs are made closer to the signer's face, making them easier for perceivers to recognize. This suggests that ASL has evolved to be more recognizable, improving communication.
A University of California, Riverside-led study found that deafness is a significant barrier to accessing health care and resources for deaf individuals living with HIV. The research highlights the need for improved communication, cultural competency, and accessibility in healthcare services to support aging deaf people with HIV.
Infants from deaf families exposed to American Sign Language at home looked primarily at the face while watching a signer, whereas those with hearing parents who spoke English barely looked at the hands. The study suggests that sign-language exposure impacts infant gaze patterns and may support later language learning.
Researchers identified Broca's area as a key region for sign language processing, showing an overlap with areas used for spoken language. The study highlights the brain's linguistic specialization and its role in processing abstract information across different forms of language.
The SignON project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 program, will develop a mobile solution for automatic translation between sign and oral languages. The platform aims to facilitate exchange between deaf and hard of hearing individuals and hearing people across Europe.
Deaf children need new social spaces and support as specialist schools close, according to a study by Dr. Hannah Anglin-Jaffe. The proposed hubs would provide expertise on visual learning methods, sign language tuition, and Deaf culture access.
A recent study by Rain Bosworth explores how gaze behaviors reveal cognitive effort and knowledge in signers, with novice and fluent signers exhibiting different eye movements. Fluent signers primarily focus on the face and utilize peripheral vision to catch details.
Researchers from Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, have developed a wrist-mounted device called FingerTrak that continuously tracks the entire human hand in 3D using thermal cameras. The technology has potential applications in sign language translation, virtual reality, mobile health, and human-robot interac...
A UCLA bioengineer designed a glove-like device that can translate American Sign Language into English speech in real-time using a smartphone app. The system uses thin sensors to pick up hand motions and finger placements, which are then translated into spoken words at the rate of about one word per second.
San Diego State University researchers found a similar brain glitch occurs in signing and speaking errors, which could improve rehabilitation therapy for deaf signers after a stroke. The study used EEG recordings to analyze the brains of both hearing and deaf signers.
Researchers found that Western sign languages have DNA traces from 5 European locations, including Austrian, British, French, Spanish, and Swedish. The study used genetic techniques to analyze data from dozens of sign languages, revealing a clearer picture of their evolution and historical development.
Researchers identified five main European sign language lineages that dispersed globally from the late 18th century, tracing their evolution through a comprehensive database of manual alphabets and handshapes. The study provides new insights into the origins and spread of sign languages, highlighting unexpected connections between Aust...
Researchers studied 27 deaf volunteers in Nicaragua to understand how NSL generates language; they found that symmetrical signs are fundamental to human conception of language. This discovery suggests that distinctions of symmetry are present even in isolated instances of language generation.
Researchers at RIT/NTID create short, conceptually accurate signed videos to address academic language barrier in physics. The project aims to increase deaf individuals' engagement in STEM disciplines by creating a sustainable online repository of technical signs.
Researchers studying Nicaraguan Sign Language find that signs don't move towards the face to be easier to understand. The study uses machine learning and computer vision techniques to analyze language change over 40 years, shedding light on how languages evolve.
Researchers used French Sign Language and American Sign Language to analyze the logical structure of spoken language. Sign languages reveal a hidden logical structure that must be inferred indirectly in spoken language, like the sentence 'Sarkozy told Obama that he would be elected'. This study highlights both strengths and limitations...
A new study reveals glaring disparities in treatment of ASL native students by the US Department of Education. The research highlights the need to dismantle conflation between language and disability, calling for explicit programmatic curricular suggestions and policy changes.
Researchers at Georgia Tech created a wearable system that can recognize up to 22 different micro finger gestures, allowing users to control smart devices with simple hand movements. The technology uses acoustic chirps emitted from a ring and received by a wristband, enabling discreet interaction.
Researchers compared neural activity of signers and speakers using magnetoencephalography, finding similar brain regions involved in phrase building. The study suggests that despite physical differences, signed and spoken languages share intricate neurobiological processes.
A new technology from UC3M's SoftLab research group has made Broadway musical comedies like 'The Addams Family' accessible to over 2 million deaf and blind people in Spain. The system uses augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and audio description to provide a synchronized and immersive experience.
A new analysis concludes that music uses abstract animated components to convey information about an extra-musical reality, similar to sign languages. The study suggests that the diverse inferences drawn from musical sources are combined using iconic rules, creating a 'fictional source' for what is perceived as real.
A new CU Boulder study found that children with hearing loss who receive interventions by 6 months develop a greater vocabulary than those diagnosed later. Nearly half of babies with hearing loss aren't meeting early detection guidelines.
A low-cost smart glove can accurately translate the American Sign Language alphabet and transmit text wirelessly to electronic devices, with applications in virtual reality, telesurgery, and other fields. The system cost less than $100 to build and has low power requirements.
A new study published in Pediatrics found that children with cochlear implants who received limited or no sign language exposure had better outcomes in speech perception, speech intelligibility, language, and reading. The study suggests that oral communication may be more beneficial for young cochlear implant recipients.
A new study reveals that humans can entrain to the temporal structure of sign language, regardless of whether they are fluent or non-fluent signers. The researchers developed a novel metric to measure visual rhythms in sign language and found that brain waves locked into specific frequencies of sign language.
A new study found that sign language users' speed of comprehension depends on their conversation partners' handedness, with left-handers responding better to fellow left-handers and right-handers to right-handers. The research suggests that how signers produce their own signs plays a role in understanding others' signing.
Researchers found that sign language users, particularly BSL interpreters, exhibit quicker reaction times and enhanced peripheral vision. Deaf adults also display exceptional visual abilities, including significantly faster reaction times than hearing adults.
A recent study published in PNAS shows that people apply the rules of their spoken language to sign language, revealing a common structure between speech and sign. Researchers found that participants responded similarly to words and signs with doubling, regardless of linguistic context.
A study is underway to understand why some children respond better to cochlear implants than others. Researchers are using measures of brain function to identify clinical interventions that could help children adapt to using the implants. The study involves recruiting children from 18 months to 8 years old who use cochlear implants, as...
Researchers discover 'reactive effort' in sign languages, where movements produce torque on the torso, and find that vocabulary avoids signs requiring extra reactive effort. This biological universal sheds light on language and physical activity.
A $1.6 million NIH-funded study aims to enhance disability and outcomes research for the deaf and hard-of-hearing population. Researchers developed a new PROMIS profile in American Sign Language to gather data from a nationwide sample of 650 participants.
Researchers at UConn investigate whether early exposure to sign language can forestall cognitive issues in deaf children, challenging a longstanding debate. The study finds that congenitally deaf children who learn sign language from birth develop language, cognition, and literacy on normal timetables.
Native ASL signers acquire intonation in three stages: appearance, reorganization, and mastery. Young signers use certain features with different frequencies than adults.
Professor Nick Enfield and his colleagues found evidence of a universal trait in human conversation, with the word 'Huh' appearing in 31 languages. They also discovered that people stop for clarification once every 90 seconds, regardless of language.
Researcher Susan Goldin-Meadow found that hand gestures play a crucial role in language learning for both hearing and deaf children. Gestures help children develop language skills and can even become a primary means of communication in the absence of a spoken or sign language.
A pilot study explores using iPad technology to facilitate remote interpreting for deaf and hard-of-hearing college students. The research found that this technology can enhance student engagement in co-op experiences, but challenges arise from connectivity issues.
A study published in PLOS ONE shows that English speakers can quickly recognize key structures of American Sign Language (ASL) and distinguish syllables from morphemes. However, participants were unable to learn signs that violated the structure of ASL or other known languages.
Researchers found that emotionally charged words on billboards can provoke an emotional response, distracting drivers and decreasing traveling speed. Positive connotations sped up drivers' responses, while negative words led to drifting and veering from the lane.