App that translates speech to sign language nets top innovation award

International

AN APP that can translate spoken words into sign language real time has won this year's Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, one of the continent's most respected tech awards.

Developed by Kenyan engineer Elly Savatia and his company Signvrse Technologies, the app called TERP 360 aims to make communication easier for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community using artificial intelligence and 3D avatars

Terp 360 works by listening to spoken conversations and then converting them into animated sign language gestures performed by a virtual avatar on screen.

A report by CNN stated that the app currently supports Kenyan Sign Language, translating it both English and Swahili speech. According to the Royal Academy of Engineering, which organized the competition, the system was trained with more than 2,300 signs, making it one of the most advanced sign-language AI tools developed in Africa. Savatia received a £50,000 cash prize (around ₱3.7 million) to help scale up the project and make it more accessible to the public.

Fact-checking reports from international tech outlets like Citizen Digital and Kenyan Wall Street confirm that the app’s current version focuses primarily on Kenyan Sign Language. While the technology is promising, experts point out that each country has its own sign language system — meaning a truly global version would still need major data training and localization. The AI still faces challenges in fully capturing facial expressions, regional gestures, and emotional tone, which are vital components of sign language.

Still, accessibility advocates have hailed Terp 360 as a milestone for inclusion. By using technology to break language barriers, the app offers a glimpse of a more inclusive digital future.

“It’s not about replacing human interpreters,” Savatia said, “but about creating more access for people who need communication support every day.” His team also hopes to expand to other African languages and collaborate with education sectors to make learning materials more inclusive for deaf students.

For many college students and young innovators, the success of Terp 360 sends a clear message — innovation can come from empathy. What started as a simple idea to help a marginalized community has grown into an internationally recognized project that blends engineering, creativity, and compassion. It also highlights Africa’s growing role in tech innovation, a space often dominated by Silicon Valley and Europe.(Victoria Diana, USJ-R Comm Intern)