Recently, we featured a Kinect hack from France that was designed to translate gestures into language. The project seems to be in its early phase but the value of such an endeavor is readily apparent. And it looks like other people are working on something similar. Today we feature a new hack that translates LIBRAS (Língua Brasileira de Sinais), the language of deaf communities in Brazil.
Using Kinect SDK for Windows, the application translates images and gestures captured by the Kinect into spoken word, which can be Brazilian Portuguese, English or whatever the user’s preference is. The developer also demonstrates in the tech demo how easy it is to record new gestures and translations, making this a very versatile application.
This can be a useful tool in facilitating easier communication for people with hearing or speaking disabilities. What’s more, the interface and how it’s set-up make this ideal in teaching people who are interested to learn LIBRAS.
It’s always amazing when we get news about apps like this that show how the Kinect can function as a tool to address different real world social challenges. It just goes to show how the Kinect is so much more than a gaming device.
