Accessible communication through sign language is vital for deaf communities, 1 yet robotic solutions are often costly and limited. This study presents VulcanV3, a low- 2 cost, open-source, 3D-printed ambidextrous robotic hand capable of reproducing the full 3 American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet (52 signs for right- and left-hand configurations). 4 The system employs 23 direct-drive servo actuators for precise finger and wrist movements, 5 controlled by an Arduino Mega with dual PCA9685 modules. Unlike most humanoid upper- 6 limb systems, which rarely employ direct-drive actuation, VulcanV3 achieves complete ASL 7 coverage with a reversible design. All CAD files and code are released under permissive 8 open-source licenses to enable replication. Empirical tests confirmed accurate reproduction 9 of all 52 ASL handshapes, while a participant study (n = 33) achieved 96.97% recognition 10 accuracy, improving to 98.78% after video demonstration. VulcanV3 advances assistive 11 robotics by combining affordability, full ASL coverage, and ambidexterity in an openly 12 shared platform, contributing to accessible communication technologies and inclusive 13 innovation.

Snap isn't done teaching Snapchat users how to communicate using sign language. The social media service has introduced an ASL Alphabet Lens that, as the name implies, significantly expands the American Sign Language learning experience. You'll still learn how to fingerspell your name using individual letters, but you now also get to practice the ASL alphabet and play two games to test your knowledge. As before, Snap is using SignAll's AI technology (including computer vision and machine learning) to recognize your hand gestures. Snap relied solely on Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing team members to develop the lens.