iTalkSign — ASL Sign Language Translator

A web app that translates between text and American Sign Language (ASL). Type text to see hand signs, or click signs to build words.

Author: Aime Igirimpuhwe

What You'll Need

• Node.js (version 16 or higher)
• npm (comes with Node.js)
• ASL hand sign images (jpg, png, or gif)

Quick Setup

1. Clone and Install

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd iTalkSign
npm install

2. Add Your ASL Images

The app needs hand sign images in a DATASET folder. The project already has the folder structure ready - you just need to add your images:

DATASET/
├── A/
│   └── your_A_sign.jpg
├── B/
│   └── your_B_sign.jpg
├── C/
│   └── your_C_sign.png
├── ...
├── Z/
│   └── your_Z_sign.gif
├── 0/
│   └── your_0_sign.jpg
├── ...
└── 9/
    └── your_9_sign.jpg

Important: Each folder (A-Z, 0-9) needs at least one image file. The app automatically picks the first image it finds in each folder.

3. Run the App

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173 in your browser.

That's it! The app will automatically generate a dataset manifest and start running.

What the App Does

• Text → Sign: Type any text and see ASL signs for each letter and number
• Sign → Text: Click on sign images to build words letter by letter
• Admin Dashboard: Visit /admin to see usage analytics and popular letters
• Voice Input: Use your microphone to convert speech to signs (experimental)

For Production

npm run build

This creates a dist/ folder. Deploy this folder to any web server. Make sure the DATASET folder is accessible at /DATASET/ on your server (copy it to your public folder or create a symlink).

Tech Stack

Built with Vite, React, and TypeScript. The dataset manifest is automatically generated when you start the app or build for production.