Tag: Diversity

Braille characters can be translated using a pen. Now, a science team on America’s west coast is using writing to help diagnose Parkinson’s without breaking the bank. The team’s 3D-printed diagnostic pen is filled with magnetic fluid, while a coil of conductive yarn is wrapped around its barrel. The tip is made from magnetic silicon. When tracing letters directly...

A digital pen can convert braille into text, while a glove does the same for sign language. A London-based startup, in turn, has developed a cloud-based platform to translate text, voice and video into British Sign Language. An AI-powered avatar does the signing. Training with data sets incorporated different dialects, contextual language and emotional tone. Comprising deaf members who use...

Some programming skills are taught using sign language. Though personal qualities are important for jobs, they don't often feature in traditional resumés. Which is why a London-based startup has developed a CV platform modelled on a social media feed. It aims to link digital natives and businesses in search of talents and focuses on users’ personalities. A coloured graphic...

Light switches can be controlled remotely thanks to a ring, while some glasses correct blind spots in wearers’ field of vision. All these innovations mean increased integration for people with specific disabilities. And now a Romanian startup is looking specifically at website access. An app designed for businesses constantly monitors their websites for accessibility issues and makes recommendations -...

Depression can be identified through video games. Now, a joint research team from Britain and the US has used a similar concept to diagnose autism in children. All children have to do is watch a one-minute video and mimic the dance moves displayed on screen. People on the ASD spectrum often have difficulty responding physicalls to sensory input. A...

An opera is giving homeless people a stage. Film is ploughing its own furrow too: October saw the first ever film festival take place inside a US-prison. The festival was founded by a female press volunteer at California’s oldest state penitentiary and a former prison resident whose podcast was listed as a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Over two days, six...

Software can detect when video-callers are using sign language. People with speech difficulties relating to Parkinson’s disease, however, often withdraw from conversations, providing the spur for a US-based research team to improve speech recognition software. In a recent study, 211 patients read specially prepared texts or responded spontaneously to questions about everyday tasks. Over 151 hours, 74,467 answers were...

People with weakened leg muscles can still walk. And now a Swedish startup is turning its attention to people who have reduced capacity to grip. The team’s robot glove is worn over the thumb and middle- and ring fingers. It uses integrated pressure sensors to calculate any additional support required when gripping an object. Mini electric motors then activate artificial...