Washington state is forging the way for assistive mobile technology. Engineers at the University of Washington are developing the first mobile technology able to transmit American Sign Language (ASL) over cellular networks. The software called MobileASL is able to run on any cell phone that has the camera on the same side as the screen, a big change from current programs that are available!
We’ve talked about the benefits of FaceTime, an application on Apple’s iPhone, but this program is limited to Wi-Fi technology only. The new program in development will have the capability to run over 3G networks. It also increases the video quality around the face and hands while optimizing the compressed video signals specifically for sign language. The software even detects whether a person is signing or not in order to extend the phone’s battery life during use.
To read the entire article on this new technology visit Read Write Web.