In a continuously evolving world, the importance of communication cannot be understated. It is essential at the basic level – expressing oneself, and even at the professional level – which has a role to play in career advancement. Yet, communication may be seen as inaccessible, especially to those with hearing and speech impairments.
Roy Allela came to understand this when he noticed his niece had challenges communicating with the immediate family. Despite being born unable to hear, she had navigated life as best as she could. But six years on, communication breakdown was still a key issue between her and the family. While sign language was her way of expressing herself, her family was not fully knowledgeable on it. This made Roy ponder on how this setback transcended into her day-to-day life.
Skills to Develop
At the time, Roy had successfully completed his tertiary education at the University of Nairobi (UoN). He had a BSc in Microprocessor Technology and Instrumentation (MTI) under his belt. His determination to think of a solution was further strengthened by the awareness that several other young people were facing similar challenges as his niece. And having previously achieved one major feat increased his confidence in creating a tech-based solution.
To give more context, while at UoN, Roy had immersed himself in various social activities and competitions. These opportunities challenged him and improved his tech prowess. In 2014, he was first runner-up at the Intel University APP Challenge Kenya for developing myScheduler. This was an Android application for scheduling emails and SMSs, and setting calendar invites. For his final year project in 2016, Roy chose to develop a sign language to speech translation glove to amplify communication for individuals with speech impairment. This project earned him the overall award at the University of Nairobi’s Innovation Week. It would be his focus for the next three years as he continuously improved it in preparation for its official launch into the market.
The Process and Beta Testing
The innovation began by taking a simple pair of gloves and fitting them with flex sensors on each finger. The next step was to incorporate short-range wireless technology to allow the gloves to connect to a mobile phone. This way the gloves could be paired to a mobile, and the wearer would be able to sign as usual as the sensors detected and sent signals to the phone which would then voice the words.
Once the first iteration of the prototype was complete, Roy proceeded to pilot the innovation at a special needs school in Migori County. This valuable feedback helped him refine the product. What was most important to improve on at the time was the conversion speed. On the phone application side of things, it was important to ensure language inclusion and tone variety. This way, users could select their preferred language, gender tone as well as pitch.
By the end of all the product revisions, it was estimated that accuracy results were over 90%. The final improvement was to consider the different preferences of users – especially young ones. It was therefore important to ensure the gloves came in an assortment of colours and with various aspects that appealed to children.
Recognition
From the first presentation at the Innovation Week, Roy’s project’s timeliness and essence was appreciated. In 2017 the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASNE) awarded him the year’s ASME Innovation Showcase. Then, two years later Sign-IO was shortlisted for the 2019 Africa Prize for Engineering.
Other recognitions include 2nd runners-up at The Royal Academy of Engineering Leaders in Innovation Fellowship in London, and runners-up at the Royal Academy of Engineering APEI Prize for Engineering.
Indeed, Roy Allela has done his part in ensuring those left behind in communication matters due to setbacks beyond their control can express themselves. We are proud of this #KeInnovator for creating a lasting solution for many beyond even the +254 borders!
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