ZeroBionic develops robotic arm to assist deaf students in Kenya

Kenyan startup ZeroBionic has developed a robotic arm designed to assist deaf and hard-of-hearing students in educational settings. Co-founded by 22-year-old Norah Kimathi, the technology uses a mechanical hand to translate a teacher’s speech into sign language in real time, facilitating classroom integration for hearing-impaired pupils.

At Kasarani Treeside Secondary School for the Deaf in Nairobi, deaf teachers are also utilizing the technology to record and store signs via an imported bodysuit. This effort aims to create a standardized database of technical terms in English, American, and Kenyan sign languages, addressing a current lack of technical vocabulary in local dialects for subjects like biology and mathematics.

According to the Kenya Society for Deaf Children, approximately 300,000 children in Kenya have hearing impairments, though only about 20,000 were enrolled in schools as of 2024. Kimathi noted that a significant hurdle was the absence of a standardized African sign language dataset, requiring the team to build their resources from scratch using in-house developed humanoid robots and recycled materials.