A Comprehensive Survey on Sign Language Translation Systems: Bridging Gestures, Text, and Audio for Enhanced Communication

Abstract

Sign language is a vital mode of communication for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Translating sign language into text and audio using modern technologies helps bridge the communication gap between people with hearing disabilities and the rest of the world. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of translation systems that convert sign language gestures to text and audio formats. We categorize existing systems, analyze the challenges in sign language recognition, and review various approaches including gesture recognition technologies, machine learning models, and speech synthesis systems. The survey also explores future research directions in enhancing the accuracy, usability, and accessibility of these systems.