TEAM HIVE

Let's say we are having our initial encounter and are about to begin our conversation, but what if I have difficulty speaking or hearing and use sign language? You wouldn't be able to comprehend what I am attempting to express in sign language, and if I am hearing impaired, I won't be able to understand you either. It is obvious that there is a communication barrier that needs to be eliminated between someone with such an impairment and a person who speaks verbally. Not everybody can afford a human interpreter, and with the technology available today, it is possible to transform sign language into verbal language. There comes our project, Sanchar. Sanchar is a Nepali word meaning communication. Sanchar is committed to providing individuals with speech/hearing impairments the ability to express themselves and have equal opportunities to lead fulfilling lives. When we visited the Deaf Federation of Nepal, we spoke to some individuals with hearing impairments and gained insight into the difficulties they experience in their day-to-day lives. These people struggle to find employment, acquire everyday items, build relationships, and express their emotions. Despite their limitations, they retain big aspirations; however, they are often limited by their condition. Our goal is to extend assistance to the nearly 480 million people with disabilities, 80 million of whom rely on sign language to live a more fulfilling life and have the same opportunities as everyone else in this competitive world. Building a solution to this problem is not enough; the solution should be practical, affordable, and comfortable enough to be adopted by people. Imagine if the solution involves a normal person using a smartphone or purchasing anything. My question is: why would a normal person do so for the convenience of impaired individual? The product should be independent, comfortable enough, and most importantly, cost-effective. Sanchar is designed by addressing each of the discussed issues to make it more practical and viable. Sanchar is a smart glass with two mounted wide-angle cameras, two mini speakers, a microphone, and a smart-watch application. These glasses are to be worn only by impaired individuals. The cameras in our smart glasses would be side-facing to capture the right and left views of impaired individuals.      The captured sign language would be converted to text by our ML model, and we broadcast the text using text to speech service from the speakers attached in our smart glass. This way, we help them have a spoken language.  On the other hand, if a person is hearing impaired, the microphone attached to our smart glass captures the audio and converts it to sign language, which is displayed on the smart watch or phone of the impaired individual. This way, we simulate a two-way conversation and bridge the gap we are talking about. Now, with Sanchar, you and I can have the conversation we were trying to start in our first encounter.

As a young team studying at Tribhuvan University in Nepal, we are passionate about giving a voice to individuals with hearing and speaking disabilities. Each of us brings a unique set of skills to the table, and as a team, we love solving problems, engaging in spirited debates, staying up all night to get the job done, and playing chess. Above all, we respect one another and are united in our vision and determination to achieve our common goal. Together, with our diverse perspectives and problem-solving approach, we are confident in our ability to make a difference. Bishnu Prasad Bhandari, a student at Madan Bhandari Memorial College, is set to graduate in 2024. With professional experience in mobile app development using Flutter, Kotlin, and Swift, Bishnu is passionate about exploring blockchain, cloud computing, AR, public speaking, project management, and leadership. In his free time, Bishnu enjoys playing cricket and chess. In Sanchar, Bishnu is leading the team and is responsible for research and planning, building partnerships with various NGOs, INGOs, and local organizations, managing finances, and overseeing Cloud services. Prajin Khadka, a student at Bhaktapur Multiple Campus set to graduate in 2023, brings expertise in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science to the team. In his free time, Prajin enjoys solving problems, exploring cloud computing, and leading. In Sanchar, Prajin focuses on strengthening the team's machine learning model and researching ways to improve accuracy. Aashika Dhakal, a student at Madan Bhandari Memorial College set to graduate in 2024, has professional experience in front-end development and mobile app development. In her free time, Aashika enjoys exploring cloud computing, augmented reality, singing, and dancing. In Sanchar, Aashika is responsible for software development, specifically using Kotlin to develop a smartwatch application and Flutter to develop a mobile application, and keeping track of the team's development progress. Ankit Pandey, a student at St. Xavier's College set to graduate in 2024, is studying BSC physics and is interested in robotics and the Internet of Things. In Sanchar, Ankit is responsible for hardware manufacturing and assembly and programming microcontrollers to perform the necessary tasks. Overall, we are united in our vision and determination to achieve our common goal and make a positive impact on the lives of individuals with hearing or speaking disabilities.