Sign for EveryJUAN: An Interactive Android Application that teaches Filipino Sign Language using Hand Gesture Recognition Londren U. Velasco, Raymond S. Macatangga, Copernicus P. Pepito, Marissa G. Chua, Emmanuel G. Galupo Jr., Mary Joyce R. Del Mundo, Ericson L. Dilla
1. College of Computer Studies
2. Faculty
3. Our Lady of Fatima University
4. Philippines
Abstract
Communication helps humans to interact and understand one another. People may not be able to communicate verbally in another culture^s language, but they can utilize gestures, visual cues, body language, and other nonverbal communication strategies (Naar, 2021). Sign language is a mode of communication that uses hand motions, body movements, and facial expressions. It is used by people around the globe who face difficulty with hearing and speaking to express and communicate. But there is no universal sign language. There are different sign languages just as there are a variety of spoken languages. As of March 2022, Ethnologue listed 157 listed sign languages that include deaf community sign language and shared sign language.
In the Philippines, the sign languages used are American Sign Language, Signing in Exact English, Samar Sign Language, and Filipino Sign Language. However, Filipino Sign Language, or FSL is the national sign language of the Filipino deaf (Republic Act No. 11106, 2018). In 2000, the National Statistics Office reported that there are over 121,000 Filipinos who are deaf and hard of hearing. In an interview done by Imperial (2015) with Liwanag Caldito, one of the founding members of the Philippine National Association of Sign Language Interpreters (PNASLI), the latter stated that 70 percent of the Filipino Deaf community uses FSL as their main sign language. Still, there are many deaf, mute, and people with the ability to hear who are not familiar with the national sign language.
The purpose of this project is that it only teaches basic Filipino Sign Language which includes alphabet, numbers, common basic/WH questions, common greetings, common phrases, days, family members, adjectives, and verbs. The categories chosen are based on the most commonly used by people to communicate with one another. This project will help and benefit the FSL interpreters and teachers, hard- of- hearing and Deaf community, the hearing citizens, and future researchers.
For the Filipino Sign Language interpreters and teachers. The application can help them in teaching their students to learn basic FSL.
For the hard-of-hearing and Deaf community. The application helps to bridge their communication with the hearing people. This can also promote inclusiveness and help the community grow
The Research is a quantitative approach and specify as applied research. Research method includes using instruments and evaluation tools is involved during the gathering of respondents. In the other hand, Software Methodology use is Waterfall model. The Interactive Android Application that teaches Filipino Sign Language using Hand Gesture Recognition. The diagram consists of 1 entity which is the user, and process which Sign for EveryJUAN. The user is the entity as they will be the one who will access the Sign for EveryJUAN: An Interactive Android Application that teaches Filipino Sign Language using Hand Gesture Recognition. Once the user opened the application, the user is able to access the system by selecting categories and by video input.
Keywords: Android Application - Sign Language - Interactive Application - Arduino and Hand Gesture Recognition.
