ASLAN robot arm translates words into sign language for deaf people

A robotic hand that can translate words into sign language gestures for deaf people has been created by scientists. Named Project Aslan, the 3D-printed hand costs as little as £400 ($560) to make and interprets both written text and spoken words. The device communicates through'fingerspelling', a type of sign language where words are spelled out letter-by-letter through separate gestures on a single hand. The robot, which will be ready in five years, could one day be carried around in a rucksack, scientists say. It could help some of the 70 million worldwide who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate with people who don't know sign language.