SHAFFIKA BTE MOHD SUHAIMI Southern University College
Barriers to communication between individuals who utilize sign language and those who do not persistently hinder social inclusion. Human interpreters, although effective, frequently entail high costs and are not always easily accessible. Concurrently, current technological solutions are often deficient in real-time functionality, precision across various sign languages, and user-friendliness. An examination of existing systems indicated a considerable deficiency, as the majority of available applications concentrate on the pedagogy of sign language rather than facilitating its translation in real-time. Furthermore, there exists a scarcity of support tailored to the Malaysian context, where American Sign Language (ASL) is prevalently utilized. This study delineates the design and development of a sign language translation system that confronts these issues. The system leverages computer vision and natural language processing to transmute sign language gestures into spoken or written text instantaneously. The development process adhered to the Agile Software Development Methodology, which proved particularly advantageous for this endeavor as it facilitated iterative development, consistent user feedback, and ongoing enhancement of features. A design approach centered around user needs was utilized to confirm that the system is both functional and accessible for daily communication tasks. The resultant prototype exhibits significant potential in alleviating the communication divide for the hearing-impaired community. Future projects will strive to extend language representation and elevate translation accuracy to better meet the diverse needs of users.