Roger OngEver get lost at Shinjuku station, the biggest station in Japan? You might even begin to wonder where the station staff is to ask for directions. Accessibility becomes a more significant topic. Isn’t it more difficult when people who are deaf or are hard of hearing need to seek directions? And how can station staff communicate with them?
Digital Nature Group, a team at Yoichi Ochiai Laboratory at the University of Tsukuba (in Ibaraki Prefecture) has developed See-Through Captions, a real-time, real-life captioning system for speech. As the user speaks into a speech-input device, the speech recognition program will convert speech into text and display them on a transparent screen.
Because the captioning is done in real-time, deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals will be able to understand others’ speech immediately. The project team is focusing on raising the quality of communication while overcoming device and accuracy obstacles. This is also a reason why the team chose a transparent screen as a medium. The captions will be displayed on both sides of the screen, allowing the speaker to confirm what they have said too. Furthermore, the transparency will allow body language to be conveyed too.
Of course, the potential for this technology goes beyond giving it to train station staff. We can see the most straightforward applications for customer-facing services. Installations at information counters at various facilities will improve accessibility and exchange of information. Paired with translation capabilities, the system can even be an asset as a real-time translator. Imagine it as a part of future wearable tech too!
The See-Through Captions is currently being user-tested at different facilities. One of the trials is held at Odaiba’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (also known as Miraikan.) The captioning system is implemented into their science exhibition tours catered towards the deaf and hard of hearing. Guides will carry a small See-Through Captions device (developed by Digital Nature Group) during the 40-min guided tour.
See-Through Captions has also recently started its test at the information counter at the Tsukuba City Hall to gather feedback and find points of improvement.
This is another great example of how Universal Design benefits everyone. The perfection of the See-Through Captions will expand its potential applications in various aspects while resetting the baseline of inclusivity. That baseline is not perfect yet, but the See-Through Captions project team is raising that bar for society.
Learn more about the project through this video, from the team’s motivations to the See-Through Captions in action:
[Website] See-Through Captions[Reference] Miraikan tour for the deaf and hard of hearing (in Japanese)
