NVIDIA, the American Society for Deaf Children and creative agency Hello Monday have launched Signs, an interactive web platform designed to support ASL learning and help build accessible AI applications. The project is aimed at expanding the amount of ASL data available for AI systems, compared with English and Spanish.
The platform gives sign language learners access to a validated library of ASL signs. It includes a 3D avatar that demonstrates signs and an AI tool that analyzes webcam footage to provide real-time feedback on signing. Users at any skill level can also contribute by signing specific words to help build a video dataset for ASL.
NVIDIA said it aims to grow the dataset to 400,000 video clips representing 1,000 signed words. Fluent ASL users and interpreters are validating the clips to ensure each sign is accurate. The result is intended to support both a visual dictionary and a teaching tool.
Cheri Dowling, executive director of the American Society for Deaf Children, said: “Most deaf children are born to hearing parents. Giving family members accessible tools like Signs to start learning ASL early enables them to open an effective communication channel with children as young as six to eight months old,” and “And knowing that professional ASL teachers have validated all the vocabulary on the platform, users can be confident in what they’re learning.”
During the data collection phase, Signs offers an initial set of 100 signs for learning and practice. Dowling said: “The Signs learning platform could help families with deaf children quickly search for a specific word and see how to make the corresponding sign. It’s a tool that can help support their everyday use of ASL outside of a more formal class,” and “I see both kids and parents exploring it — and I think they could play with it together.”
The team behind Signs is also exploring ways to track and integrate facial expressions and head movements, which are part of ASL, as well as regional variations and slang terms. NVIDIA and Hello Monday are working with researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Center for Accessibility and Inclusion Research to evaluate and improve the user experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
NVIDIA said the data will be made available to the public as a resource for building accessible technologies, including AI agents, digital human applications and video conferencing tools. It could also be used to enhance Signs and support ASL platforms across the ecosystem with real-time, AI-powered feedback.
Anders Jessen, founding partner of Hello Monday/DEPT, said: “Improving ASL accessibility is an ongoing effort,” and “Signs can serve the need for advanced AI tools that help transcend communication barriers between the deaf and hearing communities.”
Source: blogs.nvidia.com.
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