## Inspiration

We see technology progressing rapidly in cool fields like virtual reality, social media and artificial intelligence but often neglect those who really need tech to make a difference in their lives.

SignFree aims to bridge the gap between the impaired and the general public by making it easier for everyone to communicate.

## What it does

SignFree is a smart glove that is able to detect movements and gestures to translate sign language into speech or text.

## How we built it

SignFree was built using a glove with embedded sensors to track finger patterns. The project relies on an Arduino board with a small logic circuit to detect which fingers are activated for each sign. This information is relayed over to a database and is collected by a script that converts this information into human speech.

## Challenges we ran into

Coming up with the logic behind sensing different finger patterns was difficult and took some planning
The speech API used on the web server was tricky to implement as well

## Accomplishments that we are proud of

We feel our hack has real world potential and this is something we aimed to accomplish at this hackathon.

## What we learned

Basic phrases in sign language. We used a bunch of new API's to get things working.

## What's next for SignFree

More hackathons. More hardware. More fun
## **1st Place!**

## Inspiration

Sign language is a universal language which allows many individuals to exercise their intellect through common communication. Many people around the world suffer from hearing loss and from mutism that needs sign language to communicate. Even those who do not experience these conditions may still require the use of sign language for certain circumstances. We plan to expand our company to be known worldwide to fill the lack of a virtual sign language learning tool that is accessible to everyone, everywhere, for free.

## What it does

Here at SignSpeak, we create an encouraging learning environment that provides computer vision sign language tests to track progression and to perfect sign language skills. The UI is built around simplicity and useability. We have provided a teaching system that works by engaging the user in lessons, then partaking in a progression test. The lessons will include the material that will be tested during the lesson quiz. Once the user has completed the lesson, they will be redirected to the quiz which can result in either a failure or success. Consequently, successfully completing the quiz will congratulate the user and direct them to the proceeding lesson, however, failure will result in the user having to retake the lesson. The user will retake the lesson until they are successful during the quiz to proceed to the following lesson.

## How we built it

We built SignSpeak on react with next.js. For our sign recognition, we used TensorFlow with a media pipe model to detect points on the hand which were then compared with preassigned gestures.

## Challenges we ran into

We ran into multiple roadblocks mainly regarding our misunderstandings of Next.js.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that we managed to come up with so many ideas in such little time.

## What we learned

Throughout the event, we participated in many workshops and created many connections. We engaged in many conversations that involved certain bugs and issues that others were having and learned from their experience using javascript and react. Additionally, throughout the workshops, we learned about the blockchain and entrepreneurship connections to coding for the overall benefit of the hackathon.

## What's next for SignSpeak

SignSpeak is seeking to continue services for teaching people to learn sign language. For future use, we plan to implement a suggestion box for our users to communicate with us about problems with our program so that we can work quickly to fix them. Additionally, we will collaborate and improve companies that cater to phone audible navigation for blind people.
## Inspiration

Tax Simulator 2019 takes inspiration from a variety of different games, such as the multitude of simulator games that have gained popularity in recent years, the board game Life, and the video game Pokemon.

## What it does

Tax Simulator is a video game designed to introduce students to taxes and benefits.

## How we built it

Tax Simulator was built in Unity using C#.

## Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge that we had to overcome was time. Creating the tax calculation system, designing and building the game's levels, implementing the narrative text elements, and debugging every single area of the program were all tedious and demanding tasks, and as a result, there are several features of the game that have not yet been fully implemented, such as the home-purchasing system.

Learning how to use the Unity game engine also proved to be a challenge as not all of us had past experience with the software, so picking up the skills to implement our ideas into our creation and develop a fleshed-out product was an essential yet difficult task.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

Although simple, Tax Simulator incorporates concepts such as common tax deductions and two savings vehicles in a fun and interactive game. The game makes use of a charming visual aesthetic, simple mechanics, and an engaging narrative that makes it fun to play through, and we're very proud of our ability to portray learning and education in an appealing way.

## What we learned

We learned that although it is tempting to try and incorporate as many features as possible in our project, a simple game that is easy to understand and fun to play will keep players engaged better than a game with many complex features and options that ultimately contribute to confusion and clutter.

## What's next for Tax Simulator 2019

Although it is a great start for learning about taxes, Tax Simulator could benefit from incorporating more life events such, purchasing a house with the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive or having kids, and saving for college with RESPs. The game could also suggest ways for players to improve their gameplay based on how the decisions they made regarding their taxes.