MANILA – A group of Filipino Computer Engineering students from De La Salle Lipa has developed an assistive robotic hand that translates spoken words into sign language, aiming to make education more inclusive for students with hearing and speech impairments.

Named VOICEGEST, the device was created by fourth-year students Althea Lat, Alexie Shane Lenesses, and Nathanael Malabanan as part of their thesis project. The team was mentored by Engr. Imelda Martin, a Computer Engineering professor at DLSL.

The Project was inspired by the team’s firsthand experience in their community in Malvar, Batangas, where a local SPED school struggles with a limited number of teachers.

“Kami din talaga ‘yung nakapag-isip nung robotic hand that can do sign language so that we can help students with disabilities.” said Team Leader Althea Lat, explaining how the lack of teaching resources in their area motivated the group to take actions.

Filipino Computer Engineering students from De La Salle Lipa present VOICEGEST, a robotic hand that can translate speech into sign language. Handout photo

How VOICEGEST works 

VOICEGEST consists of a 3D-printed robotic hand powered servo motors, connected via Bluetooth to a custom-built mobile application. The app includes voice recognition and touch-based controls, allowing users to trigger hand gestures representing numbers, letters, and basic words in Filipino Sign Language (FSL). 

According to Engr. Imelda Martin, the device is simple and intuitive to use:

“If you want the robotic hand [VOICEGEST] to produce the sign language for letters in the alphabet, for example, letter A, B, C…....you just have to tell it to the mobile phone or speak it up…..[Then] the robotic hand will form the sign language for letters…,” she explained.

Engr. Martin emphasized how the system was built with real-world classroom scenarios in mind, ensuring a smooth experience for both students and teachers.

“Then if you don't have the capability, for example, you are PWD…..you're deaf or mute. So you may just click on [the] letter A button in the mobile app….then practically the same, the robotic hand will show the sign language for that particular letter,” she added.

This dual-input feature makes VOICEGEST accessible and inclusive to a wider range of users and adaptable to various learning environments. 

“Akala nila laruan siya [VOICEGEST] but in reality…..that can actually…..help them to learn more,” said Lat, recalling how students initially saw the robot as a toy—but were soon engaged in learning sign language.

The project was built with an estimated cost of just P15,000 to P20,000, far lower than similar commercially available technologies which can reach up to P100,000. The team emphasized that their biggest resource was their knowledge and commitment.

“Ang puhunan lang talaga namin here is our knowledge and our skills na we gain in our school,” added Lat.

Future Plans

Now, the team is currently processing a patent and is working on upgrades, such as adding audio feedback to the app and expanding the robot’s gestures vocabulary.

“Currently we're working on our upgrades on our robot since we joined the competition…..There's a lot of suggestions from the panel or the judges na we should add sounds,” said Lat, emphasizing that their chosen upgrade will integrate sounds directly into the mobile app rather than the robot itself.

“Then mag-add pa kami ng new movements ng robot,” she added.

As of now, the robotic hand can replicate 25 out of 27 degrees of motion found in a human hand–a level of precision the team hopes to perfect.

“Once we [do] that….the functionality of VOICEGEST will gonna be limitless,” said Engr. Martin.

Beyond the classroom, the team sees VOICEGEST being used in public institutions, hospitals, and customer service environments, helping non-verbal individuals navigate everyday tasks.

With further improvements on the horizon and new competitions lined up—and after recently winning at the MURATA ROBOLUTION 2025 contest, the team hopes and wishes to continue developing VOICEGEST into a fully functional, scalable tool for inclusive education.

They are also currently seeking funding and investor support to bring the project beyond prototype stage and into actual implementation.

“We consider our robot as version 1 palang and additional funding would allow us to enhance its features and expand its capabilities,” said Lat.

As the team moves forward, they remain focused on one goal: helping people with special needs access better tools for learning and communication.

“Our goal is to promote inclusivity and we hope it serves as a bridge to better communication and understanding,” she added.