Bill (Year 12) recently won first place in HackABLE, a hackathon competition hosted by Ramathibodi Hospital, a renowned medical institution in Thailand.
The competition focuses on improving health equity and accessibility for people with disabilities. His project, Handy, won first place out of more than 300 teams and received a prize of £1250.
'HackABLE' combines 'Hackathon' and 'Disable', reflecting the competition's goal.
Handy is a real-time sign language translation device that Bill developed to bridge the communication gap between the deaf community and the hearing population in Thailand. Roughly 400,000 Thais rely on Thai Sign Language, but only 1% of the hearing population understands it. This creates significant barriers in education, employment, and daily life.
Handy utilizes AI, flex sensors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes to translate sign language into spoken Thai. This promotes natural expression and fosters greater social inclusion. Bill's vision is for Handy to become a bridge that connects sign language and spoken conversation, empowering the deaf community with independence and freedom to peruse their dreams and aspiration.
Congratulations Bill!
I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr Andy Thomson, Head of Design Engineering, for his unwavering support throughout this project. His enthusiasm for Handy truly motivated me to push the boundaries of what I thought was possible. Mr Thomson's dedication to fostering pupil innovation played a key role in Handy's success.
Bill (Year 12)
