UMI Launches Bittensor Subnet 78 for Sign Language AI
Bittensor (TAO)
Editor:
Eugene Serbin
manilatimes.net reports that Universal Motion Intelligence (UMI) has launched Subnet 78 on the Bittensor decentralized machine-learning protocol. This new subnet introduces /sign, an application designed for real-time communication between Deaf and hearing people. The system translates signed communication into spoken language and vice versa using a standard camera without requiring gloves or specialized sensors.
UMI describes this as motion-to-meaning intelligence, combining visual signals like hand movement with facial expression and timing. Koyuki Nakamori, Co-founder and Head of AI at UMI, stated that sign language is one of the hardest motion problems in AI because meaning travels through hands, body, face, and timing simultaneously. The network operates on a King of the Hill dynamic where independent AI teams deploy models and compete on measurable performance.
Early access requests and clinical pilot inquiries are open now at umi.vision. The web app is scheduled to roll out in the coming week, with a TestFlight beta opening on October 15. The App Store launch is set for November 15.
UMI plans to expand this infrastructure to other products like /face, /intent, and /flow. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1.5 billion people currently live with some degree of hearing loss.
How the market reacted
Whalio's own Binance spot order flow for TAO, measured when this story was written up on 2 October 2026. Not the outlet's figures.
TAO is trading at $303.40 with a 1-hour buy ratio of 59.5%, indicating strong short-term buying pressure compared to the 48.3% ratio over the past 4 hours. This surge in buying interest is reflected in a positive Volume Delta of +$304,878 for the hour, contrasting with negative deltas of -$785,691 and -$738,589 over the 4-hour and 24-hour periods respectively. The Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) for the 24-hour close stands at +$630,850, suggesting that net buying has outweighed selling over the full day. This flow indicates that while longer-term sentiment remains mixed, immediate traders are aggressively accumulating the asset. The high buy ratio in the most recent hour signals a sharp reversal from the earlier selling pressure seen in the 4-hour window.
The latest daily buy ratio of 49.6% sits at the 64th percentile of the last 322 days, against a median of 48.8% - ordinary for this coin.
Was that an ordinary day?
The same Binance spot measurements for TAO, averaged over the days leading up to the story.
Over the preceding week, the average buy ratio was 49.8%, making today's 1-hour reading of 59.5% an unusually high level of buying activity. Spot volume over the last day was $33,475,328, which is 0.66 times the weekly average, indicating that trading activity is currently subdued compared to recent norms. While buying intensity has spiked in the short term, the total Volume Delta for the 8-day period remains negative at -$1,414,788. Price has increased by 2.4% over the last 8 days, with net buying occurring on only 3 of the past 7 days. This suggests that despite today's strong intraday buying, the broader weekly trend has been characterized by more selling than buying.