Yeny Carías

"This young woman has developed the first system prototype which captures and translates voice to LESHO, the Honduran sign language. The communication gap experienced by deaf students when assimilating the language used by the professor is enormous and hinders their learning process. However, the tool masterminded by Carias aims to mitigate this problem, given that it functions on the website as a virtual interpreter and will be able to facilitate learning for more than 35,000 Hondurans with hearing difficulties.

The system converts voice captured by a microphone into text, and the text into an interactive character that performs the signs from the LESHO language by translating and spelling out the message word for word. It will also use Spanish grammar and will convert it into LESHO grammar to send a more accurate message.

This system was designed with university students in mind and was backed by the National Autonomous University of Honduras, however it is not necessary to know how to read in Spanish to be able to understand the LESHO signs. As such, it could also be of use to children who are starting school or for deaf people who only understand signs. Carias, who is currently studying a Doctorate in Development Management, embodies the true entrepreneurial spirit of this acknowledgement through the combination of technological innovation and a profound social improvement and an enhancement of the quality of life."