At 25, Kenyan social entrepreneur Elly Savatia is revolutionizing assistive technology through his startup Signvrse, which uses AI to interpret sign language in real time. Founded six years ago in 2020 after Savatia witnessed deaf students struggling with limited interpreter access during a nationwide robotics tour, Signvrse’s flagship Terp 360 system now offers instantaneous translation of complex gestures into text and speech.
"The deaf community has long faced systemic barriers in education and workplaces," Savatia explained during a recent demonstration. His team trained Terp 360’s neural networks on thousands of regional sign variations, enabling it to adapt across linguistic contexts. The technology is currently being piloted in schools and hospitals across East Africa, with plans for Asian market expansion later this year.
Experts highlight Terp 360’s potential to transform accessibility frameworks globally. As sign language recognition AI advances, advocates emphasize the need for ethical deployment that centers deaf users’ input—a principle Savatia says guides all Signvrse projects.
