Voice Bridge [SH417]

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  It shows the the hello in sign lnaguage.

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  it shows thank you in sign language.

Inspiration

We were inspired by the idea that communication is a universal right — yet, millions of deaf and mute individuals are still excluded from digital conversations. While speech and text technologies have advanced, sign language users are often left behind. VoiceBridge was born out of a desire to change that — to build something that speaks the language of hands and hearts.

What it does

VoiceBridge is a web-based tool that converts written text into sign language using animated visuals or image sequences. This allows deaf and mute individuals — especially sign language users — to read and understand written messages in their native visual language, breaking a key barrier in everyday communication.

How we built it

We used HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create a lightweight frontend. A text input box captures user input. Each letter or word is mapped to a corresponding sign language image or animation, sourced from open datasets. A responsive display shows the signs sequentially to simulate real signing. We focused on making it minimal, accessible, and fast, so it could work on any device with an internet connection.

Challenges we ran into

Finding reliable, free-to-use sign language datasets that were visually consistent was difficult. Mapping letters and words into visual signs while keeping it accurate and meaningful required creativity and testing. We initially wanted to use Azure AI for speech and sentiment analysis, but faced time and integration challenges. Balancing UI simplicity with feature completeness was tricky — we had to cut features to stay focused.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a fully working MVP that translates text into sign language in a meaningful way. Created a clean, intuitive UI that works well on web and mobile browsers. Took our first step toward building truly inclusive tech — and did it with heart.

What we learned

Sign language is not a direct translation of English — it’s a unique language with its own grammar and structure. Accessibility is more than a checkbox — it’s a mindset. Even a small tool, if designed with empathy, can have massive real-world impact.

What's next for Voice Bridge

Add video-based sign language recognition to allow real-time sign-to-text conversion Integrate Azure Cognitive Services for speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and language translation Support for multiple sign languages (ASL, ISL, BSL, etc.) Develop a mobile-friendly PWA and explore offline capabilities Create a more expressive 3D signing avatar

Built With

• mediapipe
• nextjs
• python
• tailwindcss
• tensor
• three.js