The winner of this year’s UAE James Dyson Award for Arabic sign language innovation has been announced as Eshara, an AI-powered translator. Developed by American University of Sharjah students Salma Shaarawi, Mohamed Eid and Aley Eshra, the platform addresses the lack of Arabic sign language translation services in the Middle East.
“Winning the 2024 UAE James Dyson Award has been amazing, as it not only spotlights our innovation but also sheds light on the critical problem,” said Shaarawi. “Whilst working on the innovation, we were faced with a lot of challenges and doubts, but winning the award has reassured us that there is demand for and interest in such an invention.”
The team identified a gap in traditional services that often lack Arabic sign language support. Through research, they developed a web app that uses phone cameras to translate gestures into text, while custom avatars reverse the process by translating text back into sign language.
The invention won $6,500 to support future developments, including plans for a mobile app and expansion to more Arabic dialects. Judge Dr Suaad Al-Shamsi praised Eshara, saying, “They tackled a real-world problem that others have ignored, and used advanced technology to create an inclusive solution that is not only impressive but essential in today’s world.”
Eshara now advances to the international stage of the James Dyson Award, with global winners to be announced in November.
