Nigerian AI Startup Translates Sign Language in Real Time

Over 430 million people worldwide live with disabling hearing loss, yet most digital tools still assume everyone can hear and speak. Talksign, an AI company based in Nigeria and the UK, just changed that equation.

On May 20, the startup launched two breakthrough models that translate between American Sign Language and spoken or written language in real time. Palm 1.0 interprets ASL into text or speech with 84.2% accuracy, while Echo 1.0 does the reverse, converting words into photorealistic signing video at 30 frames per second.

The technology marks a massive leap from Talksign's first model launched in February, which could only handle 250 isolated signs. The new system understands continuous conversation, not just individual gestures.

Palm 1.0 learned from over 71,000 ASL samples and tracks 133 points on the body to read signing as fluid communication. It processes the context and meaning behind gestures, approaching true fluency in a visual language that's historically lacked training data at this scale.

Echo 1.0 takes written or spoken English and produces natural ASL video with personalized avatars that can be generated from a single photo. The model preserves actual ASL grammar rather than just translating word for word, making the signing feel authentic.

CEO Edidiong Ekong said the team is confident putting Palm 1.0 directly into the hands of Deaf users. "The next step is putting it everywhere a Deaf person needs to communicate: on phones, smart glasses, in classrooms and hospitals," he explained.

The models were developed with input from Deaf advisors, educators, and accessibility advocates. User privacy stays protected because only processed data points get sent to servers, not raw video.

The Ripple Effect

The technology addresses gaps that professional interpreters can't fill everywhere, from emergency alerts to live news broadcasts. It transforms signing from an accommodation into what co-founder Kazi Mahathir Rahman calls "a first-class interface" for interacting with computers and AI systems.

Talksign plans to expand beyond ASL to British Sign Language, German Sign Language, and Nigerian Sign Language in future versions. Support for Spanish, French, and Arabic input is also coming.

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