App translates speech to sign language, wins top innovation prize
Listen to the story (American accent)
A Kenyan businessman created a special app called Terp 360. This app helps people communicate by changing spoken words into sign language. It uses a 3D avatar that signs the words.
The inventor, Elly Savatia, said his app is like "Google Translate for sign language." He said it takes spoken words or text and shows a realistic 3D avatar signing them. With the app, people talk to each other without needing a human sign language interpreter.
Savatia won a prize called the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. The prize comes with £50,000 (about $67,000) and celebrates people who create technology to solve problems in Africa.
Savatia explained that it is often difficult for deaf people in Kenya to get important services like healthcare or education because many workers do not know sign language. He said that human interpreters are expensive and there are not enough of them. This means many deaf people cannot enter higher education.
Savatia wants Terp 360 to help companies include deaf people in the workplace. He said his app makes it possible for companies to do this.
The app was created with the help of deaf and hard-of-hearing Kenyans. They recorded over 2,300 signs. Terp 360 now translates English and Swahili into Kenyan Sign Language. Savatia plans to add other African and world languages by mid-2027.
The judges looked at the social impact of the inventions. They want to see that the winning inventions help people, not only create jobs or money. One judge said that technologies like Terp 360 can help people with disabilities who are often underserved around the world.
Vocabulary39 words
- Kenyan
- from or related to Kenya;
- Businessman
- A person who works to sell things or offer services to make money
- Create
- to make something new or original; produce
- App (application)
- computer software/program, especially for smartphones and tablets
- Called
- Named; To give something a name
- Communicate
- To share your thoughts or information with others, like talking or writing messages
- Spoken
- Words that are said out loud with your voice
- Sign language
- A way to talk using your hands and body movements, used mainly by deaf people
- 3D Avatar
- A computer-made character that represents a real person; A computer-created version of someone
- Sign
- To make shapes with your hands to show words or ideas
- Inventor
- A person who thinks of and builds something completely new
- Text
- written or printed material; the written words in a book, magazine, etc., not the pictures;
- Show
- To display or present something; to share; to let people see something
- Realistic
- accurately representing what is natural or real; lifelike; natural; true; seems real
- Human
- a person; a man, woman or child
- Interpreter
- A person who changes words from one language into another
- Prize
- A reward or gift that you get for winning a competition
- Celebrate
- To do something special or enjoyable for an important event; to party
- Solve
- to find an answer; to find an explanation; to create a way to fix a problem; answer; work out
- Explain
- to make something clear or easy to understand
- Deaf
- Not being able to hear sounds, or hearing very little
- Service
- a business that offers a particular type of help or work; utility; system
- Healthcare
- the services and treatments related to keeping people healthy, preventing and treating illnesses, and providing medical care
- Education
- the process of teaching and learning, giving knowledge and understanding; school
- Enough
- Having what is needed or sufficient; plenty; a good amount; abundant
- Higher education
- Learning that happens after high school, like in a college or university
- Include
- to contain; incorporate; to be part of; to have something smaller as a part of it; come with
- Workplace
- a place where people work; office, work location
- Hard-of-hearing
- Being able to hear some sounds, but not very well
- Record
- To capture or save information; (record music or sound; record video; 🔴)
- Over
- more than;
- Translate
- To change words from one language to another
- Mid
- The middle of something;
- Judge
- A person who decides who wins a contest or a competition
- Social impact
- The effect that something has on the lives of many people in a community
- Invention
- A new thing that someone has made for the first time ever
- Disability
- a physical or mental condition that makes it harder for a person to do certain things or participate fully in daily life
- Underserved
- Not having enough help or access to services that are needed
- Around the world
- worldwide; in many places in the world; in many countries
Quiz
Answer key
1. To translate spoken words into sign language 2. For creating technology to solve problems in Africa 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A Kenyan _____ created a special app called Terp 360. This app _____ people communicate by changing spoken words into _____ language. It uses a 3D avatar that signs the _____ .
The inventor, Elly Savatia, _____ his app is like "Google Translate for sign language." He said it _____ spoken words or text and shows a realistic 3D _____ signing them. With the app, people talk to each other without _____ a human sign language interpreter.
Savatia won a prize _____ the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. The prize comes with £_____ (about $67,000) and celebrates people who create technology to _____ problems in Africa.
Savatia explained that it is _____ difficult for deaf people in Kenya to get important services like healthcare _____ education because many workers do not know sign language. _____ said that human interpreters are expensive and there are not _____ of them. This means many deaf people cannot enter _____ education.
Savatia wants Terp 360 to help _____ include deaf people in the workplace. He said his app _____ it possible for companies to do this.
The app _____ created with the help of deaf and hard-of-hearing Kenyans. _____ recorded over 2,300 signs. Terp 360 now translates _____ and Swahili into Kenyan Sign Language. Savatia plans to add other _____ and world languages by mid-_____ .
The judges looked at the social _____ of the inventions. They want to see that the winning inventions _____ people, not only create jobs or _____ . One judge said that technologies like Terp 360 can help _____ with disabilities who are often underserved _____ the world.
Discussion questions
- The app helps deaf people access services. Can you think of other ways the app can be helpful?
- The text says human interpreters are expensive and few. What are the advantages of using an app instead of a human interpreter? What might be a disadvantage?
- The judges wanted the invention to have a positive social impact. Do you think it is more important for a new product to help people or to just make money? Why?
- The text says people with disabilities are often underserved. What does this mean to you? How can we ensure everyone has fair access to important services?
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