Huawei uses AI to translate books to sign language

In a moving Christmas advert, mobile phone company Huawei introduced a new technological advancement for books and reading. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), their app, StorySign, uses designs by Aardman Animations to translate children’s books into sign language for deaf children across the world. Created in partnership with the European Union of the Deaf and the British Deaf Association, Huawei wanted “to ensure it is a genuinely useful tool, as well as to raise awareness of deaf literacy and to inspire people and organisations to get involved by supporting their local deaf charity.”

In their press release, Huawei explained that Deaf children often struggle to learn to read because they cannot hear parents sounding the words out during bedtime stories. What makes reading even harder for deaf children is the fact that sign language does not have a written form and does not translate directly into English in a word-for-word way. Hauwei’s app aims to combat this issue and bring reading to life for the approximately 32 million deaf children globally.

The app is currently available for free on the Google Play Store and Huawei AppGallery. It has been launched in an initial 10 different sign languages, with one classic children’s book from Penguin Random House for each of these languages. In English, the first book to be released on the app is Where’s Spot by Eric Hill, and more books will be added to the app soon.

Plus, you can help more deaf children enjoy the joys of reading by donating to Huawei’s charity partners, by doing so, “you will help support deaf literacy programs including the future development of StorySign.”