10113222Silence Speaks: a multilingual translation app for sign language usersClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThis project delivers a totally disruptive multi-lingual translation app, Silence Speaks, which enables real-time, zero latency universal translation between different sign and spoken languages. This innovation is essential for the 250k UK and 70m worldwide sign-language users, who face day-to-day challenges in communication, including social inclusion, accessing healthcare, participating in education and workplaces, and accessing public transport. The project opens up global commercial possibilities, with a worldwide transition to universal language for spoken language (e.g., use of multi-lingual voice-to-text translation in call centres and in global business communication) leaving companies aware of the need to get ahead-of-the-game for sign language. There is currently no reliable communication app to support sign-language users. This is particularly restrictive given the hundreds of different sign language systems and a global world, e.g.,10m sign language users from around the world navigate the London Underground annually. Our stakeholders, particularly in transport (TfL) and private sector (Vodafone), are urgently calling for better solutions to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Emerging legislation is addressing this challenge, e.g., British Sign Language Act 2022 requires public bodies to meet the needs of BSL users. All accessibility legislation is expected to adopt requirements for inclusion of the sign-language community over the next 5 years, meaning companies need to act urgently to prepare compliance. This project will expand our current translation technology utilising our patented deep tech to enable multi-lingual sign-language conversion. Our universal translator app will enable sign language and non-sign language users to communicate with each other in real-time, across multiple sign and spoken languages, via a simple app/camera interface. We will trial this with Transport for London. Silence Speaks offers enormous EDI opportunities, enabling full inclusion of deaf and sign-language-using communities in society, overcoming communication challenges and barriers to education, workplace, accessing healthcare and services, and living comfortably.