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Robotic Hand Translates Speech into Sign Language

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the look-ma-no-hands dept.

usermilk writes "Robot educators Keita Matsuo and Hirotsugu Sakai have created a robot hand that translate the spoken word into sign language for the deaf. From the article: 'A microchip in the robot recognizes the 50-character hiragana syllabary and about 10 simple phrases such as "ohayo" (good morning) and sends the information to a central computer, which sends commands to 18 micromotors in the joints of the robotic hand, translating the sound it hears into sign language.'"

3 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Picture of robotic hand by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Funny

    signing "I'll be back"

  2. This gives a whole new meaning by sikandril · · Score: 5, Funny

    This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "talk to the hand"

  3. it's about form factor by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Funny
    Would this not be more useful as software?

    Yes but not nearly as intimidating. Who's going to get their lunch money taken -- deaf kid with a PDA, or deaf kid with a giant robot hand?