Real-time sign language detection: Empowering the disabled community

Interaction and communication for normal human beings are easier than for a person with disabilities like speaking and hearing who may face communication problems with other people. Sign Language helps reduce this communication gap between a normal and disabled person. The prior solutions proposed using several deep learning techniques, such as Convolutional Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines, and K-Nearest Neighbors, have either demonstrated low accuracy or have not been implemented as real-time working systems. This system addresses both issues effectively. This work extends the difficulties faced while classifying the characters in Indian Sign Language(ISL). It can identify a total of 23 hand poses of the ISL. The system uses a pre-trained VGG16 Convolution Neural Network(CNN) with an attention mechanism. The model's training uses the Adam optimizer and cross-entropy loss function. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of transfer learning for ISL classification, achieving an accuracy of 97.5 % with VGG16 and 99.8 % with VGG16 plus attention mechanism.•Enabling quick and accurate sign language recognition with the help of trained model VGG16 with an attention mechanism.•The system does not require any external gloves or sensors, which helps to eliminate the need for physical sensors while simplifying the process with reduced costs.•Real-time processing makes the system more helpful for people with speaking and hearing disabilities, making it easier for them to communicate with other humans.