AUSIGN – Real-Time Auslan Sign Language Interpreter

Breaking communication barriers for the Australian Deaf community with an affordable, wearable, real-time Auslan-to-speech translation glove. Check out the demo video.

Overview

AUSIGN is a wearable assistive technology device designed to translate Australian Sign Language (Auslan) into spoken English in real time, enabling smoother and more natural communication for deaf and non-verbal individuals.

Unlike existing ASL-centric devices, AUSIGN is purpose-built for Auslan, incorporating contextual awareness via a heart-rate sensor, low-latency audio feedback, and Bluetooth connectivity for flexible output through a mobile/desktop app.

Key Features

• Auslan-specific design – recognises grammar and gestures unique to Auslan.
• Context-aware translation – heartbeat sensing to infer emotional tone.
• Low-latency output – low latency translation for natural conversations.
• Comfort & portability – under 150 g, designed for all-day wear.
• Cross-platform UI – BLE-connected Python GUI.
• Rechargeable & all-day battery life – ~6 hours continuous operation.

System Architecture

High Level Diagram

Hardware

• Sensors:
  • 5× flex sensors for finger bend detection
  • LSM6DSOTR 6-axis IMU for hand motion/orientation
  • MAX30105 heartbeat sensor for emotional context
• Processing: ESP32-S3 microcontroller with BLE & I²S audio output
• Output: OLED display + speaker (via MAX98357A DAC/amp), 2× customisable push buttons
• Power: 3.7 V Li-Po battery with BQ24074 power management & charging

Software

• Firmware: Reads sensor data, sends via BLE to host app, plays audio from internal flash.
• Recognition algorithm: Condition-matching engine using flex, IMU, and BPM thresholds from CSV definitions.
• GUI: Python-based BLE interface for displaying recognised signs, sensor status, and audio playback.

Repository Structure

├── firmware/ # ESP32-S3 C++ firmware (Arduino/ESP-IDF)
│ ├── src # Contains the main esp32 code along with test code for every component
│ ├── partitions # Custom partition implemented for our 16MB Flash size
├── gui/ # Python BLE GUI application
│ ├── frontend.py # main GUI script
│ ├── signs.csv # Sign definition mappings
│ └── ...
├── hardware/ # PCB schematics and board layouts
│ ├── main_board/
│ ├── breakout_board/
├── demo # Demo video
│ ├── demo_video.mp4
├── docs/ # design docs
└── LICENSE
└── README.md

Demo

Check out the demo video to see AUSIGN in action.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Authors

• Rahul Ramachandran
• Enzo Moriguchi

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“Technology is best when it brings people together.” – AUSIGN aims to bridge the communication gap and foster inclusion through engineering innovation.