SBIR Phase I: Robotic system outputting natural tactile-sign language to aid Deaf and Deafblind communication

SBIR 第一阶段：输出自然触觉手语的机器人系统以帮助聋人和聋盲人进行交流

• 批准号: 2212930
• 负责人: Samantha Johnson
• 金额: $ 25.6万
• 依托单位: TATUM ROBOTICS LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-02-15 至 2023-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2212930&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Robotic; system; outputting

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will contribute to the fields of low-cost anthropomorphic robotics as well as machine translation. Leveraging advancements in low-cost manufacturing and deep learning, the project is developing an accessible and state-of-the-art complaint robot with robust remote processing. Using remote processing to avoid expensive microprocessors and memory capabilities, the proposed cloud server can capture any wifi-based communication and entertainment, while translating language with custom standards and user preferences in real-time. By granting DeafBlind (DB) individuals newfound independence and privacy, the success of the project will revolutionize how DB individuals interact with their community as well as provide immediate access to the abled world’s resources. The market opportunity is estimated at $213 billion annually. This product will have a significant impact on the assistive technology field, targeting the historically underserved DB populations, for whom there is little innovation. Importantly, this would be the first commercialized signing robot. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will provide a convenient and accessible method for DeafBlind (DB) people to interact with the world. The current lack of communication aides among the DB community requires all people with severe deafblindness to rely on human interpreters to interact with the hearing/sighted world. However, with extensive lead times for these expensive services, DB individuals regularly experience isolation and loneliness. This research aims to achieve a fully compliant, flexible fingerspelling anthropomorphic hand. Additionally, this research aims to develop the first architecture for translating between a spoken and signed language. Technical research requires investigation into motion capture mapping and storage of continuous motion as well as tendon actuation schemes to achieve a low-cost 18 degrees of freedom robotic hand. Additionally, linguistics research explores DB language usage (syntax, morphology, sign production, etc.) as well as preferences based on demographic data. Anticipated technical results include a robotic hand that can sign with 90% recognition from DB users, signing at variable speeds ranging from one to two signs per second with accurate translation patterns between the source language and outputted tactile signs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该小企业创新研究 (SBIR) 第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将为低成本拟人机器人和机器翻译领域做出贡献。利用低成本制造和深度学习方面的进步，该项目正在开发一种易于使用且最先进的投诉机器人，具有强大的远程处理能力。所提出的云服务器使用远程处理来避免昂贵的微处理器和内存功能，可以捕获任何基于 WiFi 的通信和娱乐，同时根据自定义标准和用户偏好实时翻译语言。通过赋予聋盲人 (DB) 个人新的独立性和隐私权，该项目的成功将彻底改变聋盲人与社区互动的方式，并提供对残疾人世界资源的即时访问。每年的市场机会估计为 2130 亿美元。该产品将对辅助技术领域产生重大影响，针对历史上服务不足、几乎没有创新的 DB 人群。重要的是，这将是第一个商业化的签名机器人。这个小企业创新研究 (SBIR) 第一阶段项目将为聋盲人 (DB) 提供一种方便易用的方法来与世界互动。目前 DB 社区缺乏沟通助手，这要求所有患有严重失聪的人必须依靠人类翻译人员与听力/视力世界进行互动。然而，由于这些昂贵服务的交付周期很长，DB 人员经常会感到孤立和孤独。这项研究旨在实现完全顺应、灵活的手指拼写拟人手。此外，这项研究旨在开发第一个用于口语和手语之间翻译的架构。技术研究需要研究运动捕捉映射和连续运动的存储以及肌腱驱动方案，以实现低成本的 18 自由度机器人手。此外，语言学研究还探索 DB 语言的使用（语法、形态、符号产生等）以及基于人口统计数据的偏好。预期的技术成果包括一个机器人手，它可以得到 DB 用户 90% 的认可，以每秒 1 到 2 个手势的不同速度进行签名，并在源语言和输出的触觉符号之间提供准确的翻译模式。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。