Kenyan entrepreneur Elly Savatia has won the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, earning £50,000 ($67,000) for his creation, Terp 360 — an AI-powered web app that translates speech and text into sign language using 3D avatars.
How It Works
Terp 360 functions like Google Translate for sign language — taking speech and text input and producing photorealistic 3D avatars that sign in real time. The app allows seamless communication between hearing and deaf users without needing human interpreters.
The AI was trained using motion sensors that captured thousands of hand and body movements from deaf Kenyans, resulting in a database of over 2,300 signs — including common words and phrases.
“To go to the workplace, education, health care, you have to communicate,” Savatia said. “But the deaf community, they’re left behind.”
Why It Matters
Deaf people across Africa often face barriers to education and employment because interpreters are scarce and costly. Despite Kenya’s new law requiring companies to reserve 5% of jobs for people with disabilities, Savatia says many deaf professionals remain excluded due to communication challenges.
“Companies cannot afford interpreters… We see ourselves as an enabler. We are able to do sign language, but at scale,” he added.
The Bigger Picture
Terp 360 is one of the few tools designed specifically for African sign languages and cultural contexts. With more than 30 sign languages used across the continent, most existing global solutions overlook this diversity.
The app currently supports Kenyan Sign Language, with plans to add Rwandan, Ugandan, South African, British, and American Sign Languages by mid-2027. The team has also built a motion capture studio in Nairobi to record and train the AI on new signs — at a pace of about 1,000 words a day.
What They’re Saying:
“What really stood out about Elly’s solution, and Elly himself, is the level of innovation,” said Rebecca Enonchong, chair of the Africa Prize judging panel.
“It’s a demonstration that Africans are capable of using cutting-edge technology to solve problems — not just on the continent, but beyond.”
Between the Lines
The Africa Prize, now in its 10th year, recognizes African engineers creating solutions to local challenges. For Savatia, the award could open doors to partnerships with NGOs and organizations that hold visual sign language datasets, further expanding Terp 360’s reach.
Source: CNN
