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Last month, University of Washington sophomores Navid Azodi and Thomas Pryor won the 2016 Lemelson-MIT student prize for creating “SignAloud” – gloves that recognize the hand gestures of ASL (American Sign Language) and translate it into text and speech. The gloves are worn on both hands and contain sensors that record movement and send data wirelessly via Bluetooth to a central computer, which interprets words and phrases through a speaker.

The team was one of seven winners in the “Use It” undergraduate category that recognizes technology- -based inventions to improve consumer devices. They were awarded $10,000. For Azodi, the idea sprang from personal experience: At 18 months old, a severe seizure took away his speech. “I didn’t speak until I was seven years old,” he told NBC News. “I used non-verbal communication and basic sign language. For years, I had to go to speech therapy.” Doctors said Azodi would be handicapped and suggested he focus on English and sign language. Though he was born in the United States, Azodi’s parents were from Iran and spoke Farsi. “I understood what it was like to have a communication barrier and I could see how technology could be a useful tool,” he said. Azodi shared his story and the two inventors “bonded in problem solving,” according to Pryor, who studies astronautics engineering. Their prototype gloves, which cost about $100, are lightweight and compact, unlike other devices on the market. “They are a lot more ergonomic,” Pryor told NBC News. “Some devices use video input for gesture and others have impractical sensors all over the body. We wanted to focus on something that consumers would buy.” “We were not really expecting something of this magnitude,” Pryor told NBC News. “It was a personal project between the two of us and something fun to do. It goes to show what opportunities are around the corner.” The students reached out to the deaf community to guide them in grammar and syntax and how the gloves might be used. Pryor said getting feedback had been a “humbling experience.” The gloves have just as much potential for those who hear and want to learn ASL. They also have medical potential to help stroke victims during rehabilitation. Since the prize was announced, the students have received inquiries from investors and manufacturers, some offering technical support. But they caution that the gloves are just an early prototype and work still needs to be done before they are ready to market. “We want to take it further, to push it ahead,” Azodi said. “It has such great potential.”