Every story takes shape through the journey that brings it to life, and ours began within the vibrant halls of KJ Somaiya Institute of Technology. As NSS (National Service Scheme) volunteers and students of Somaiya Vidyavihar, we shared a collective mission to contribute meaningfully to the betterment of society.
This shared purpose became the foundation of Project Ishaara, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered solution designed to bridge the communication gap for India’s deaf and mute community
With a population exceeding 63 million, the deaf and mute community in India faces significant challenges due to communication barriers. This harsh reality struck us during our brainstorming session, where we identified the glaring absence of accessible tools tailored for individuals reliant on Indian Sign Language (ISL).
Inspired to address this gap, we conceptualised Ishaara, a platform that can convert text, video, and audio into ISLrealealt time.
Our path was not without its challenges, the most significant being the lack of a comprehensive dataset to train our AI model for ISL. Rather than letting this obstacle define our journey, we took on the ambitious challenge of creating a custom dataset from scratch.
Beyond building the dataset, we expanded Ishaaras’s capabilities to include text-to-ISL and audio-to-ISL conversion, making it an all-encompassing tool.
We optimised our model using Intel’s OpenVINO toolkit to achieve faster inference and higher efficiency. While our goal was clear, the implementation of Ishaara came with its fair share of challenges. One of the first challenges we faced was the lack of a suitable dataset. There was no existing dataset robust enough to train a model on such complex use cases for ISL.
Instead of letting this dilemma stop us, we decided to create our dataset from scratch. We enhanced the platform by integrating text-to-ISL and audio-to-ISL conversion, making Ishaara a comprehensive solution for accessibility.
What set Ishaara apart was its dual focus that addresses practical communication challenges while preserving ISL as a vital cultural heritage.
By incorporating elements of ISL’s linguistic and cultural nuances, we aimed to celebrate and sustain this unique language, ensuring it remains a cornerstone of identity for the deaf and mute community.
Recognition and Impact
Our efforts culminated in Ishaara being submitted to the India AI Impact Festival 2024, a prestigious event organised by INSPIRE-MANAK, the Department of Science and Technology, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, CBSE, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and Intel India.
Competing among some of the nation’s most innovative projects, we were honoured to be awarded the title of Impact Creators Winner under the category of AI for Accessibility. This recognition validated our vision and underscored the potential of Ishaara to drive meaningful social change.
Building on this success, Intel India nominated us to represent the country at the global level in Intel’s AI Global Impact Festival 2024. Competing against over 100 teams from 25 countries, we were thrilled to be recognised as a Global Award Winner in the category of AI for Accessibility.
This achievement not only elevated Ishaara to the global stage but also affirmed its innovative approach, feasibility, and profound potential for social impact.
A moment of pride
Our journey reached its crescendo at the felicitation ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi. Attending the event along with eminent leaders like Ranjana Khanna (CEO of AMCHAM India), Jayanth Chaudhary (Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship), Atul Kumar Tiwari (Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship) and several others was both humbling and inspiring. Their words of encouragement reaffirmed our commitment to driving change through technology and innovation.
Ishaara’s vision for the future
For us Project Ishaara is more than just an AI-powered platform; it was a way to prove the transformative power of purpose-driven AI innovation. By giving a voice to the voiceless, we have created a tool for communication for them.
Looking ahead, we believe this is just the beginning. Our journey with Ishaara will continue to evolve, driven by our unwavering belief that technology, when harnessed responsibly, has the potential to transform lives.
Ishaara’s story is a powerful reminder that with determination, collaboration, and innovation, even the most daunting challenges can be overcome.
In the words of one of our mentors, “Innovation is not just about creating something new; it’s about making a difference.” For Team Ishaara, this journey has been about more than technology—it has been about creating a legacy of hope, dignity, and inclusivity for generations to come.
(The authors of this piece are Tanisha Kaur, final-year BTech in Computer Engineering; Yatharth Wazir, final year BTech in Computer Engineering and Yashkumar Dubey, final year BTech in Computer Engineering. They are students of KJ Somaiya Institute of Technology. Views expressed are their own.)
