{"id":6741,"date":"2023-09-13T17:11:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T21:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=6741"},"modified":"2023-09-13T17:27:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T21:27:17","slug":"henry-ford-college-student-and-team-are-creating-an-app-to-translate-sign-language-into-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/henry-ford-college-student-and-team-are-creating-an-app-to-translate-sign-language-into-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Henry Ford College student and team are creating an app to translate sign language into words\u200f"},"content":{"rendered":"
YAN<\/div>\n
Press release<\/div>\n
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Henry Ford College (HFC)\u00a0student Sabit (pronounced \u201cSabeet\u201d) Islam is one of five students at the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit working on an app called SignScribe, which translates American Sign Language (ASL) into spoken English in real time.<\/div>\n
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Henry Ford College (HFC) student Sabit Islam is part of a team that is designing an app called SignScribe, which will help bridge the communications gap between American Sign Language (ASL) users and spoken word users.<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cOne of my teammates on this project works at an Apple retail store. He has encountered customers who are either deaf or hard of hearing and would have to use a third-party interpreter over Facetime to translate what they are communicating in ASL,\u201d explained Islam. \u201cThat\u2019s not always feasible.\u00a0We have the ability to make communication more easily accessible. We wanted to conform to ASL methods of communication rather than requiring ASL users to conform to ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The camera on your cell phone will be an essential tool for the SignScribe app. The ASL user will login using sign language. The phone will then transcribe the conversation, opening up the lines of communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy teammates are very talented,\u201d said Islam. \u201cI\u2019m impressed with what we\u2019ve accomplished so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Islam and his teammates are members of the second cohort attending the Apple Academy, which is the first of its kind in the United States. After completion of the first year of their apprenticeship program, they will work directly with their client, the\u00a0 Michigan State University Community Music School-Detroit, and bring SignScribe to market.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very difficult project, which is why it has not yet been created,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe technology required for such specific detection of hand movements is still in its infancy and has a long way to go before it is able to do what we need it to. The most challenging part about creating our application is trying to create models that are able to accurately differentiate between similar signs. This could cause much of a conversation to get lost in translation.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lifelong Woodhaven resident, Islam is the fourth of six children. Two of his older siblings, Sajid and Shaon, are HFC alumni. Islam graduated from Woodhaven High School.\u00a0After graduation, he enrolled at HFC. He will graduate from the College, earning his associate degree in liberal arts later this year. He then plans to transfer to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and work toward his bachelor\u2019s degree in computer science.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always got good grades in school, but my grades suffered during the pandemic,\u201d said Islam. \u201cThat\u2019s why I came to HFC. It is close to home and has allowed me to refocus and get myself back into the high academic standing I knew I could reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabit’s GPA is nearly perfect: 3.97. He has maintained this high GPA while interning at the Apple Academy and working at the 7-Eleven in Trenton, which is owned by his parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked the transition into higher ed at HFC,\u201d said Islam. \u201cIt offers smaller class sizes and easily accessible help when I need it. The professors have been great and I\u2019ve learned a lot. Coming from COVID-19 with my grades taking a hit, rebuilding myself as a student at HFC has boosted my confidence in an academic setting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Math instructor Christian Frank had Islam in his Calculus II class during the Winter 2023 semester. He called Islam a \u201cphenomenal student.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cSabit put lot of effort into the class and contributed good dialogue and questions during my lectures,\u201d said Frank. \u201cI appreciate that he would take guesses sometimes even when he didn’t have the answer yet, and I felt comfortable ribbing him occasionally because I was confident he would take it well. That makes the whole class feel more lively, and other students start feeling comfortable chiming in too. He did a lot to make my job easier beyond just being good at his schoolwork. I wish the best for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

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HFC alumnus Justin Villanueva, the Transfer Recruiting Coordinator for the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), first met Islam in the summer of 2022 and has had many opportunities to work with him since.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFrom the beginning, I have seen Sabit’s dedication to doing well at HFC, as well as preparing to transfer to a university after finishing his associate degree. Sabit joined the\u00a0Transfer Bridges to the Humanities (TB2H)<\/a>\u00a0program at the end of the Fall 2022 semester and has maximized his opportunities both at HFC and through the transfer program,\u201d said Villanueva. \u201cHe aspires to transfer to U-M after HFC. I have no doubt he will be successful no matter where he chooses to pursue his bachelor’s degree. Sabit is an example to other students that through hard work, having support from an amazing institution such as HFC, and having the willingness and courage to pursue their aspirations, they can reach for their highest goals and achieve them.”<\/p>\n

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Islam spoke about what inspired him to study computer science.<\/p>\n

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\u201cGrowing up, I was always interested in the medical field,\u201d he recalled. \u201cThen I realized I wanted a new medium for me to express my creative side. Computer science is all about problem-solving and allows me to build solutions for any idea I may have.\u201d<\/p>\n

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As of now, his main focus is perfecting SignScribe.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is a learning tool that will make us employable in this market,\u201d said Islam. \u201cWe are working on this application because we realize how revolutionary it can be and how it can impact people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Islam said he feels blessed by the overwhelming support his team has received for this app, including from HFC President Russell Kavalhuna.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAt HFC, we have the honor of serving tomorrow\u2019s leaders who are \u2013 while students \u2013 already solving today\u2019s problems like Sabit. This young man is amazing. I am proud to be associated with him. For the last 10 months, he\u2019s been at the Apple Academy learning how to code,\u201d said Kavalhuna. \u201cI was overjoyed to be with him as he showed me the app that will translate ASL in real time, so that users can communicate across hearing and other communication barriers. This\u00a0is<\/em>\u00a0student success at our College and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Islam is taking his growing success in stride and with gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate the president\u2019s support and encouragement. He has really cheered us on,\u201d said Islam. \u201cEveryone realizes how much of an impact this app could have. This also raises our expectations in what we want to deliver as a product, but we believe what we deliver will do a lot of good for the world and make communication more accessible for the deaf community.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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