COAST

COAST (Cheap, Open-source American Sign Translator) is a non-profit project fit into a wristband, devoted to decreasing the language barriers between the hearing and non-hearing worlds. It uses energy-efficient acoustic wave technology to track hand shapes, sensors to track hand positions and motion, and an app powered by trained Artificial Intelligence to convert these signals from natural ASL signs to written language via bluetooth. COAST aims to make live ASL transcription easy, energy-efficient, and cost-effective for communities without affordable access to ASL translators, allowing sign language to be translated into written text or natural speech in real time as signed. All of the hardware and software developed will be publicly published on GitHub.com, in order to ensure that it is as accessible as possible to those wanting to build a COAST band themselves. As new technology emerges, disabled communities around the world will need accessible and affordable solutions to improve the way they communicate with others. COAST strives to bridge this gap by empowering individuals with an inclusive, open-source tool that fosters understanding and connection in diverse communities.