Snapchat has launched new augmented reality lenses and stickers that can provide you with quick lessons in sign language. The company developed custom stickers and three new lenses equipped with augmented reality technology as part of its efforts to honor International Deaf Week, guided by members of its deaf and hard-of-hearing team. As a result, these new features have been carefully designed, incorporating guidance and feedback from deaf and hard-of-hearing employees within the company.
Its new augmented reality lenses utilize artificial intelligence and computer vision technology from the Hungarian startup focused on technology for the deaf, SignAll, which can recognize and translate American Sign Language. SignAll has developed technology that can track hand movements to translate sign language into spoken language. The company launched the Ace ASL mobile app for iOS in April, and for Android earlier this month.
One lens teaches you how to finger-spell by shaping individual letters with your fingers to spell out a word, while other new lenses show you how to finger-spell your username. Additionally, it covers some common words like "love," "smile," and "hug." You can scan the Snapcodes below to access them and then share a clip with your friends in chat to raise awareness about the additional features.
Moreover, the platform has also launched new public personal Bitmoji and Cameos stickers showcasing some common terms. Snapchat introduced these new features to honor Deaf Week. According to Jenica Bounds, a deaf software engineer at the company who played a key role in the project, the platform hopes that these new elements will raise awareness and help more people learn a new way to communicate. She added, "My biggest motivation is my eldest son who loves to talk but has struggled to learn American Sign Language. I'm excited about this technology because I believe it opens up many possibilities. Technologies like this help families like mine communicate and grow together."
