Kenyan startup develops robotic hands to sign for deaf students
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In Nairobi, Kenya, the startup ZeroBionic created robotic hands that translate spoken language into sign language, aiming to improve education for deaf children.
Roughly 300,000 children in Kenya have hearing impairments, but only a fraction attend school. ZeroBionic, co-founded by Norah Kimathi, designed the mechanical hands to help deaf students learn with their hearing peers by providing real-time sign language translation of teachers’ lessons. The startup is also working to standardize sign language in Kenya.
Deaf teachers are using the robotic arms and bodysuits to record signs, building a database of technical terms in English, American, and Kenyan sign languages. This addresses a significant challenge, as a unified African sign language dataset does not yet exist, and local dialects often lack specific terms needed for subjects like math and biology. Currently, the robotic hands are being used in 78 schools across Kenya, and ZeroBionic reports a 92-percent accuracy rate in translating speech to sign.
Each hand costs around $350 and is designed to last up to two years, with the team utilizing recycled materials and 3D printers to keep costs down and minimize environmental impact.
