A Kenyan entrepreneur has developed a robot capable of converting teachers’ speech into sign language signals in real time — a solution designed to improve classroom access for deaf students. The technology was created by Norah Kimathi, 22, founder of startup ZeroBionic, and is currently being tested at a secondary school for the deaf in Nairobi.
In Kenya, nearly 300,000 children are deaf or have some form of hearing impairment, yet only around 20,000 were enrolled in school in 2024, according to the Kenya Society for Deaf Children. ZeroBionic’s solution aims to enable teachers who do not know sign language to communicate with hearing-impaired students during lessons.
The device consists of a robotic hand produced through 3D printing using recycled plastic, capable of converting speech into signs with an accuracy rate of up to 92%, according to Kimathi. Each unit is sold by the startup for US$350 and, according to the company, can operate for three years without requiring maintenance.
The technology is being piloted at Kasarani Treeside School for the Deaf in Nairobi, where 19-year-old student Sharon Mumbe sees the innovation as an opportunity to improve her learning. “This gives me hope for the future,” Mumbe said. “I will be able to understand different concepts better,” she added.
Development of the device began with the construction of the mechanical structure, including the joints and mechanisms needed to reproduce signs. According to Kimathi, the main challenge arose in building a dataset capable of teaching the robot the different signs used in Kenyan sign language.
The team found that no unified dataset on Kenyan or African sign language existed to serve as a reference. Many deaf children in Kenya learn a combination of improvised signs, while the local sign language still has limitations in the technical vocabulary used in subjects such as mathematics and biology. “Nobody else had built this on the continent… We had to start from scratch,” Kimathi explained.
To overcome this challenge, ZeroBionic is developing a database of technical terms and signs drawn from English, American Sign Language, and Kenyan Sign Language. The goal is to expand the available vocabulary and facilitate learning and communication among deaf students.
Deaf teachers and other experienced sign language users also participated in the development of the device. The team used a suit fitted with electrodes to record the movements and patterns associated with producing signs. According to the startup, the equipment had to be imported.
ZeroBionic has already sold 78 units of the robotic hand. The company now intends to advance to the next stage of the project with the development of Africa One, a humanoid robot designed to refine the movements of the mechanical arms, increase sign accuracy, and expand the available vocabulary.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/17/trends/inovacao/robo-criado-no-quenia-converte-voz-em-lingua-gestual/
