Dari
Dari is an AI-powered assistive technology that bridges the communication gap between Deaf and hearing individuals. It features the Woori armband, which interprets ASL gestures into speech, and Sari smart glasses, which provide real-time captions and environmental awareness. By combining gesture recognition, AI translation, and contextual alerts, Dari enables natural casual communication, fostering inclusivity and seamless interactions.
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Background
Uncovering the unnatural
Existing technologies primarily support one-way communication unless interpreters are involved. However, there are still gaps in ASL technology, which do not do justice to the language, including limitations in ASL gloves that hinder truly seamless interaction.
The Deaf community needs a thoughtful tech solution that respects ASL’s unique grammar, expressions, and cultural depth. Aspects that traditional interpretation often misses.
Research
What is the scope?
We needed to make sure we understand the Deaf community and the industry in general before getting into details in the how American Sign Language works.
I collected the meaningful information that would explain why we need to start this project in the beginning.
360 million people are considered Deaf
More than 90% of Deaf children are born to hearing parents.
More than 70 million Deaf individuals use sign language as their primary language
ASL and English are NOT word-to-word translation
Research
Who are around the Deaf individuals?
Research
Most Tools Talk at Deaf People, Not With Them
Video Relay Service
Allows Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to communicate with hearing people via a sign language interpreter over video in real time.
Pros
Provides real-time, professional ASL interpretation; accurately conveys facial expressions and body language.
Cons
Requires a stable internet connection and an interpreter; not ideal for private or emergency situations.
ASL Sign Gloves
Pros
Portable and can potentially translate ASL into text or speech without needing an interpreter.
Cons
Often inaccurate and misses the facial expressions and body language vital to ASL, doing the language a disservice.
Research
Listening to the Community
Now that we have a clear understanding of the scope and industry, I recruited Subject Matter Experts across the United States who are involved in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
We first spoke to experts to validate the information and gather holistic view before engaging with Deaf individuals to prevent any miscommunication or misunderstanding.
Research
Relationship between the datas
We used a reflexive thematic approach to analyze the datas. The team gained a clear understanding of the experiences of using English, text-based technology, ASL interpreters, and interactions with the hearing community.
Most importantly, we built strong relationships with experts throughout the project, which motivated us to maintain an empathetic perspective on the experiences of Deaf individuals.
Research
What we learned
Understanding
What is success look like?
Ideation
A System, Not a Gadget: The DARI Ecosystem
Wearables
Woori and Sari form a wearable system that interpret ASL into speech and displays real-time captions, enabling fluid, two-way communication.
Mobile App
Provides a conversation monitoring that include AI ASL singer, stores ASL terms and conversation history.
Community Website
A repository for Deaf community for Deaf community to share the update American Sign Language, make sure Dari is up to date of all the ASL terms that are newly formed.
Ideation
How does this ecosystem works?
I explored potential AI models to enable seamless interaction. The team chose a semantic engine to match predefined ASL terms with English sentences for faster processing. Sentiment analysis will enhance communication by recognizing emotions, while gesture recognition will retrieve ASL terms linked to specific gesture data.
We recognize that American Sign Language is highly expressive and ever-evolving. To embrace this, our platform includes a community-driven ASL repository where users can share unique ASL terms. If a term gains recognition and community support, experts will review it, and upon approval, it can become an official ASL term for use in wearables.
Ideation
Branding
Prototype
Physical Prototype
The team collaborated with an industrial design student to develop the wearables, from sketching and modeling to initial 3D printing.
Prototype
Initial UI Devlopment
User Testing
Tested Where It Matters: In Schools and Everyday Life
Draw the experience
Asked the testers to draw the experience of the space they would communicate with the hearing individuals in English
Conceptual Lanscape
Asked the testers to imagine how things would be different if they were to have the product.
Review and Rating
Asked the testers sets of questions to rate based on the questions that were asked from 1 to 5 scale, then write a reason why.
User Testing
UI Refinement
Final Design
Wearables
Our wearables enhance our app’s capabilities. Woori, our smart ASL armband, uses IMU and EMG data to let users respond by signing, paired with saved ASL terms. Sari, our smart glasses, keeps conversations phone-free with an embedded display and discreetly indicates sound sources for environmental awareness.
Final Design
Website
Dari Website
Whenever new ASL terms emerge, finding them can be difficult, as platforms are scattered.
The DARI website centralizes newly emerging and updated ASL terms, providing a space for shared input and community-driven refinements.