ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Two Austrian accessibility innovators from the Zero Project Technology Forum in Tokyo: Lingvano, the sign language learning app taught entirely by deaf teachers, and Turn-Motion, which uses AI and robotics to make custom carbon fibre leg braces.
Elena Coazzoli and Johanna Steiner of Lingvano explain how the app teaches American, British and Austrian Sign Language, with German Sign Language days away. They describe sign recognition built in-house, which watches you fingerspell and gives feedback on where and how you sign, and why every lesson uses deaf teachers rather than avatars. About a quarter of Lingvano's staff are deaf or hard of hearing.
Steven asks what a sign language app can offer blind and deafblind people. Johanna explains that tactile signing cannot be taught through an app, and Elena says accessibility is one of Lingvano's core product rules. They also cover their 2024 Zero Project award and the myth of one universal sign language.
Georg Popp, an architect and 3D designer who has lived with polio paralysis since he was one, founded Turn-Motion out of frustration with handmade orthoses that can cost up to 80,000 euros. He walks through the process from a clinic's 3D scan to an AI-optimised carbon fibre shell printed along curves by its own robotic machine in about eight hours. He talks about halving costs, first sales planned in Austria in summer 2027, and his own trials of an exoskeleton.
Chapters
0:00 – Welcome back to Zero Project Tokyo
1:10 – Lingvano and the first ten minutes of learning
2:46 – Gamification and the power of the streak
4:25 – Sign recognition and training data
8:19 – Deaf teachers, deaf staff and the app's platforms
10:52 – Sign language, blind and deafblind people
13:12 – The 2024 award and the myth of one sign language
16:55 – Georg Popp, polio and Turn-Motion's automated braces
22:58 – Robotic carbon fibre printing, speed and cost
28:48 – Prosthetics, exoskeletons and what comes next
Relevant Links
Lingvano: https://www.lingvano.com
Turn-Motion: https://turn-motion.com
Zero Project Technology Forum: https://zeroproject.org/initiatives/the-zero-project-technology-forum
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Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.
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