Their project, SilentGuide, is a pair of smart glasses that transcribes spoken words into subtitles, to help individuals with hearing impairment participate more meaningfully in social conversations

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 21 November 2024 - Samsung Electronics Singapore has crowned Team redbluegold from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) as the grand winner of its Solve for Tomorrow 2024 competition in Singapore. The team, comprising Aiden Lim and Karan Gopu Pillai, impressed the judging panel with their project, SilentGuide - a pair of smart glasses that transcribes spoken words into subtitles, helping people with hearing impairment participate more meaningfully in social conversations. As the grand winner, Team redbluegold received $7,000 in cash and $10,000 worth of Samsung products, providing them with the resources to further develop their project and make a tangible impact. Into its eight edition this year, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition is designed to ignite the passion for championing social change among youths in Singapore. By providing a platform for secondary school students to contribute ideas that address social issues through technology and innovation, Solve for Tomorrow has inspired thousands of youths over the years to become changemakers who are helping to create a better future for their communities. This year's Solve for Tomorrow competition received 75 entries from over 240 secondary school students, contributing ideas that focused on five key themes – Environmental Sustainability; Health, Sports and Wellness; Inclusive Harmonious Society; Learning and Education; and Singapore's Digital Future. Breaking Barriers: Smart Glasses Transforms Communication For The Hearing Impaired Inspired to help low- to middle-income individuals with hearing impairment bridge existing communications gaps and participate more meaningfully in the society, Team redbluegold set out to develop a solution that is wearable, convenient to use and low in cost. Following several iterations, the team developed SilentGuide - a pair of smart glasses that processes spoken words from an individual's surroundings and transcribes them into subtitles, to help users with hearing impairment understand and take part in social conversations. The solution utilises an I2S Microphone to capture spoken words in real-time and transmits the information to a Raspberry Pi 4, which processes the audio and transcribes the audio into subtitles. The resulting subtitles are displayed on an I2C OLED Screen for the user to read. Designed to function independently without an internet connection, SilentGuide has the potential to enhance communication and social integration for up to 500,000 individuals with hearing loss in Singapore. The solution can also benefit a growing number of people with disabling hearing loss worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, 430 million people have disabling hearing loss globally, a number expected to exceed 700 million people by 2050. "Many individuals with hearing impairment don't have access to affordable solutions that can help them bridge the communication gap. Our solution, SilentGuide, aims to address the communication challenges they face, helping them to participate more meaningfully in social conversations. With the convenience it provides and its relatively low cost, SilentGuide will empower individuals with hearing loss to live more fulfilling lives," said Aiden Lim. "Today, the world is navigating unprecedented social and economic challenges. It is more urgent now than ever to ignite the desire to champion social change among our youths, encourage them to think deeply about societal issues and leverage technology and resources to shape a better tomorrow. I am inspired by the creativity, imagination and heart showcased by our youths at this year's Solve for Tomorrow competition. Their ideas not only reflect a deep passion for creating a better Singapore, they also demonstrate that with boldness and imagination, our youths can truly transform our community and the world," said Dennis Jang, President of Samsung Electronics Singapore and a member of the Solve for Tomorrow 2024 judging panel. This year's Solve for Tomorrow judging panel also featured industry leaders who are passionate about inspiring youth action and leadership. These include Lim Ee Ling, Co-founder and CEO of Wavesparks, Executive Director for Global Programs at 500 Global, and Council Member of the National Youth Council; Hyder Albar, Head of Social Innovation at Halogen Foundation; and Leonard Tan Bahroocha, Director and Head of...