However, as a majority of these announcements are delivered over tannoy systems, deaf passengers can miss out on information that could be vital to their safety and that of other passengers.
To help combat this, railways are coming with AI technology that would provide a written announcement on their platform.
Deaf people experience a sense of anxiety and ambiguity when they see people run from one location to another in a flock in platform. They feel like missing out on some vital information.
They turn to boards on the platform with a hope that they can get some information there.
Artificial Intelligence may be able to provide sign language through an avatar that translates audible information into animations in order to mitigate these stressful situations.
Indomitable Power of Sign Language
For the world of deaf people, the emergence of sign language has been of profound help! Dr. FlorisRoelofsen began studying sign language after his daughter was born deaf. Besides helping deaf passengers in various situations, the project aims to raise awareness regarding this issue. Hearing-impaired individuals and hearing-privileged groups use sign language (SL) as their main means of communication, and it is characterized by both manual (body and hand movements) and non-manual features (such as facial expressions).
The SignLab centre is part of SignLab Amsterdam – a research lab at the University of Amsterdam that focusses on developing technology to translate text into sign language using animated avatars. Deaf people would benefit from the technology, according to Roelofsen.
AI Intervention to Aid the Deaf
The world has seen a shift in technology with the rising popularity of Artificial Intelligence. Today, AI or VR has taken over the digital world, whether it is unlocking a hotel room with your phone or it’s trying out different hairstyles on the L’Oreal app.
For hearing-impaired people, anything that can alert them of the last minute changes in their train schedule can be a great relief. For example, using neural networks and computer vision, GnoSys recognizes the video of a sign language speaker, and then smart algorithms translate it into speech. An AI-powered smartphone app developed by a Dutch start-up for deaf and mute people provides real-time translation of sign language into text and speech at a low cost.
With the emergence of such AI technology and tools, different inventors are working on AI apps or AI-enabled tools to help the deaf and make an inclusive world.
Tags: Railway, sign language, UK
