Cornell researchers develop mobile sign language app

Researchers at Cornell University have developed a cell phone application that enables deaf people to communicate in sign language. As part of the Mobile American Sign Language (ASL) project, the team studied how deaf people sign in order to develop compression software that allows video transmission at low bandwidth in the 2G wireless network.

By making areas of the face and hands clearer while sparing details of the torso and background, the researchers were able to achieve 15-20Kbps at 10 frames per second. Their research has been deployed to about 25 participants in the Seattle area. The team, consisting of Sheila Hemami and Frank Ciaramello, are now focused on intelligibility metrics and cost reduction. More information is available from the press release.