Kinect used to translate sign language

Instead of the usual weird or funny Kinect hacks we have for you this week, we’ve got something that could actually benefit society. Some French folks have come up with a program that can use the Kinect to detect the hand gestures used in sign language. Once detected, the sign language is then translated into words that are shown on screen. At the moment, only two words are recognized – “hello” and “sorry”, but the developers are working on adding more words to the programs vocabulary. Since the coding is completed all they have to do is record the gestures and corresponding words.

While one might argue that if you already have a working computer to type messages to people, why would anybody need to bother with gestures that are translated into words? Well a system like this could be used for teaching purposes – when the teacher demonstrates the sign language, and then the word pops up on screen, it helps to strengthen the lesson being taught. Watch a video demonstration of how it works: