words. Emiliano López
photos. courtesy of DEPT®
issue 1 – in love with Switzerland
Fingerspelling.xyz, a cutting-edge and original way to learn sign language through technology, was one of the projects that Hello Monday/DEPT® completed for the American Society for Deaf Children.
It’s fascinating to observe how human-made technology, to which we have imparted all knowledge, has become our teacher. One example of this is Fingerspelling.xyz, an App that teaches sign language with a dynamic and modern approach. The American Society for Deaf Children collaborated with Hello Monday/DEPT®, a division of digital creative agency DEPT®, to create this app that shows a computerized 3D model of a hand, and then scans the user’s real hand with the help of a webcam and tracking system called MediaPipe Hands to provide real-time accuracy feedback.
Did you know that between two and three babies out of every one thousand are born with hearing issues? Children will typically have difficulties forming words or certain sounds when they first start speaking. For parents, it is crucial that they pick up sign language as early and quickly as possible. This is often a difficult task, and Hello Monday/DEPT®’s innovative thinking is transforming how people learn to speak with their hands.
Anders Jessen, founding partner of Hello Monday/DEPT®, says “The fingerspelling game is a wonderful, entertaining way to introduce the basics of American Sign Language (ASL) in a fun and playful way. Instead of having to read or watch videos about fingerspelling, we offer an online teaching tool that guides you step by step in how to master fingerspelling – hands on!”
As was the case 300 years ago with the development of the steam engine, a new era is beginning today. This revolution is a digital one. Companies like Hello Monday/DEPT®, whose mission it is to better our society and the world one cause at a time, are at the forefront of this digital revolution. They bring their vision and technological know-how to a variety of industries.
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