Unique AI system empowers Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing workers

A first-of-its-kind system developed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology could redefine inclusion in the manufacturing industry. The assistive system for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) individuals, is designed to improve participation in industrial work by combining safety, communication, and training into a wearable, AI-supported tool. Karin Sofie Syversveen Lie has developed, during her master’s thesis, a real-time AI-powered assistive system to support DHH individuals in industrial assembly, and workers in areas with high industrial noise, a solution unique in the world. The proof of concept for this solution is described in her thesis, titled “Communicating Beyond Sound”. It introduces a wearable system that integrates computer vision, real-time speech transcription, and visual task guidance, offering DHH workers greater independence, situational awareness, and communication ability on the factory floor.