{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1911684,
        "msgid": "small-hands-open-the-door-to-language-surabaya-students-develop-ai-sign-language-app-1786409607",
        "date": "2026-08-11 07:08:27",
        "title": "Small hands open the door to language: Surabaya students develop AI sign language app",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Technology",
        "summary": "Five primary school students in Surabaya have developed an AI-powered sign language translator, winning first prize at Impact Fest 2026. Their project highlights a human-centred approach to inclusive education, viewing sign language as a cultural identity rather than just a communication barrier. The innovation aligns with Surabaya's existing inclusive education regulations, demonstrating how policy foundations can support grassroots technological solutions.",
        "content": "<p>Surabaya (ANTARA) - There is a distance that is not always visible in\nclassrooms, service counters, hospitals, terminals, and public spaces.\nThat distance is not measured in kilometres, but in communication. One\nperson speaks, another uses sign language, yet both often lack a shared\nlanguage to understand each other. Amid this challenge, five students\nfrom SDN Tenggilis Mejoyo I in Surabaya, East Java, arrived with an\nunconventional approach. They did not wait until adulthood to create\ntechnology. With skills still in the learning stage, they developed a\nsign language translator, an AI-based sign language learning\napplication. The team, called Nebula One and consisting of Arjun, Shaka,\nAghna, Siraj, and Shauqi from grades five and six, developed the\napplication over three to five months. They utilised the Pictoblocks\nplatform and machine learning to recognise hand gestures. Their work\nearned them first prize in the Young Innovators category at Impact Fest\n2026. What is compelling is not merely the technology they used. The\nreal value lies in how these children perceive social issues. They\ndiscovered that sign language is not just a set of hand movements to be\ntranslated by machines. Sign language is a bridge of communication for\nthe deaf community and part of their linguistic identity. Therefore,\ntechnology should be present to expand human communication capabilities,\nnot to replace the humans who have long served as connectors. This issue\nis relevant to the inclusive education agenda. The Surabaya city\ngovernment has issued Mayor Regulation Number 52 of 2022 concerning\nGuidelines for the Implementation of Inclusive Education. The regulation\ncovers strengthening human resources, adaptive curricula, facilities and\ninfrastructure, partnerships, and educational unit support. This means\nthe innovation from the SDN Tenggilis Mejoyo I students emerged within a\npolicy ecosystem that already has a foundation. The challenge is how\nthat foundation is translated into evolving practices. Data from Satu\nData Surabaya also shows that the city government regularly monitors the\nnumber of schools implementing inclusive education and the students\nparticipating in inclusive programmes. The dataset is updated through\nJune 2026. In this context, the students\u2019 application becomes more than\njust a competition project. It can be read as a reflection that\ninclusive education is not solely about accepting students with special\nneeds in regular schools. Inclusive education also requires an\nenvironment where all children can understand one another. There is a\nsmall irony in the development of educational technology. On one hand,\nartificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. On the other, the most\nbasic human challenge\u2014communicating with one another\u2014can still be\nhindered by a lack of knowledge.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/small-hands-open-the-door-to-language-surabaya-students-develop-ai-sign-language-app-1786409607",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}