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.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将有助于低成本拟人化机器人和机器翻译领域。利用低成本制造和深度学习的进步，该项目正在开发一种可访问的、最先进的、具有强大远程处理功能的投诉机器人。通过远程处理，避免了昂贵的微处理器和内存容量，该云服务器可以捕捉任何基于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。通过赋予聋哑人新的独立性和隐私，该项目的成功将彻底改变聋哑人与社区的互动方式，并为残疾人提供即时访问世界资源的途径。据估计，每年的市场机会为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的DB人群，他们几乎没有创新。重要的是，这将是第一个商业化的手语机器人。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目将为聋哑人（DB）提供一个方便和可访问的方法来与世界互动。由于目前聋哑人社区缺乏交流辅助设备，因此所有严重聋哑人都需要依靠人类口译员与听/看世界的人进行互动。然而，由于这些昂贵的服务需要很长的交付时间，DB个人经常会感到孤立和孤独。这项研究的目的是实现一个完全顺应，灵活的手指拼写拟人化的手。此外，本研究旨在开发第一个用于口语和手语之间翻译的架构。技术研究需要对连续运动的运动捕捉、映射和存储以及肌腱驱动方案进行研究，以实现低成本的18自由度机器人手。此外，语言学研究探索数据库语言的使用（语法，形态学，符号生产等）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，它可以识别90%的DB用户，以每秒一到两个手势的可变速度进行手势，并在源语言和输出的触觉手势之间进行准确的翻译。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。