Digital Sign Language Interpreter to Let World Learn and Communicate—A Developmental Approach

Understanding Natural Languages by machines with development in Natural Language Parsing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has exhibited various transformation and has emerged with various use cases of interest to human specifically decision making. Intent of present-day researchers are to achieve General Intelligence in machines. Around 5% world population is hearing impaired and India has high volume of dead people. The Indian Sign Language (ISL) being used in India sub-continent though it has many variants specific to local regions commands high size of user base (i.e. 1,500,000 users) after the American and Chinese Sign Languages. All sign languages exist with variations at different levels of phonology, lexicon, and grammar. So far, interpreters of various sign languages are needed for communications at meetings and conferences etc. The requirement of a global sign language remained evident and always supported by international academic and business communities. Application of Natural Language Parsing (NLP) and AI on developing machine interpreter of Sign Language(s) and Natural Language(s) would be game changer towards developing, maturing various prevalent sign languages and validating these across globe. It would not only be opening up of communication barrier among communities of Deaf and Dumb persons across globe, rather the persons having normal hearing would be able to communicate easily with Deaf and Dumb persons. Intelligent Interpretation Model is outlined which would pave way to develop sign-based communication system capable to generate sign animation based upon text or voice and also to interpret sign language video to text and or voice. It would open up communications among deaf communities and others with global validation that would self-enhance its intelligence along with its usage.