Success Stories
About the Project
Hazem aspired to help his hearing-impaired friends effectively communicate their ideas to the world. During Stars of ScienceSeason 7, he invented the Sign Language Electromyography (EMG) Sleeve, which records the muscle movements of both arms and translates them into words and sounds - thus enabling anyone to easily understand sign language!
The Egyptian took the constructive criticism of his project from the Stars of Science jury and completely revamped his idea. Instead of relying on EMG sensors, he invented an entirely new technology that uses visual sensors to not only capture muscle movements accurately but also detect nuances in the sign language speaker’s body language.
He is currently incorporating the technology into his research as a Ph.D. student of Artificial Intelligence at the Université Paris-Est Créteil in France. Working in a team contracted to design a robotic assistant at Paris Orly Airport, he is collaboratively negotiating how best to implement his sign language translation technology into the project. “It’s still in development, we haven’t released a demo version yet,” said Hazem. “It needs a lot of further research to be included in this kind of project.”
Beyond Stars of Science
Hazem built lifelong connections with his fellow Stars of ScienceSeason 7 competitors, some of whom have helped him realize his biggest goals in life! He credits Naouel Ayari for introducing him to the Ph.D. program at the Université Paris-Est Créteil, which enabled him to pursue a lifelong passion for education. “Knowledge is power,” said Hazem. “It drives the other goals I want to accomplish and innovate!”
His dedication to sign language translation has not stopped him from pursuing other inventions. Hazem also co-founded the startup “BeamBot” with fellow Stars of ScienceSeason 7 participant, Adib Al Ghossein. The company sells a video analytics platform that uses existing Closed-Circuit TV (CCTV) camera setups to collect surveillance data and provide actionable insights that can help optimize operations in large industrial facilities, including warehouses and construction sites.
“BeamBot” has been recognized as a much-needed tool in various sectors. So far, Hazem and Adib have received funding from flat6labs, a regional startup accelerator program in Lebanon, and PortXL Singapore, a prominent accelerator for startups in the port and maritime industry, in order to refine this software program for the market.
Personal Reflection
Hazem found that in order to realize his ideas, he had to meet strict standards in technical knowledge, communication skills, and personal development. This attention to detail pushed him to grow as an innovator. “Stars of Sciencewas like an experiment where I realized the importance of knowing what I need to avoid doing,” said Hazem. “It’s a very good experience, where I learned not just to implement the system, but implement it in the right way.”
He is now more driven than ever to help others dive into the world of science. It’s even his life’s motto: “Share knowledge, create knowledge if you cannot find it." True to his mantra, he published the first-ever Arabic course on machine learning on the Udemy platform, sharing his expertise in artificial intelligence with over 13,000 students to date.
Follow Hazem on…
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/h.elkafrawy
Media Links
https://portxl.org/2019/06/11/alumni-feature-beambot-empowering-intelligent-surveillance/
