Prediction Signing to Speech - Gesture Recognition

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enforces the laws, regulations and guidelines to ensure the translation of speech to text through close caption or translated to sign language. My future prediction is that in the next 10 to 15 years technology will advance to provide sign language or gesture recognition to speech universal translator so that one does need to learn how to sign to have a conversation hearing impaired person. This technology could further the abilities of the brain injured individuals to communicate.

Some organizations are actively working on gesture recognition such as http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/modality_translation_poster2001/index.htm that people with permanent functional limitations such as hearing, visual and cognitive impairments can effectively communicate with the world around them. A plethora of other research sites are available at http://www.visionbib.com/bibliography/people932.html relating to sign language and ASL recognition.