A new hi-tech glove will enable individuals to convert sign language into speech, making communication a lot easier and much less stressful for all parties.
If anyone has ever had a friend who uses sign language, they know how hard it can be to understand the person unless they either know sign language or the person using sign language has a translator with them. So it can be a bit harrowing, for all parties involved.
Now a team of inventors from Ukraine are developing a new glove that is able to convert sign language into actual speech. Known as EnableTalk, the gloves are outfitted with a number of sensors capable of recognizing hand movements and translating the movements into spoken word via an app for any smartphone. The objective is to help improve the overall quality of life for the men and women living around the world with hearing and speech impairments. Maxim Osika, a programmer, said, “We were inspired to help our friends who are hearing and speech impaired to have the ability to communicate with everyone else.”
While the glove is still in its prototype stage, it is already receiving a lot of positive attention for what it can do. In fact, it was a winner at the recent Microsoft Imagine Cup, a competition promoting technical innovations, held in Australia.
One of the best things about EnableTalk, aside from what it does, is that it is going to be relatively inexpensive. The hardware used for the prototype costs around £50. This means that to buy it, individuals will not have to dip into savings or create a plan to rob a bank.
Check out the soldering and testing process below:
For more great reads about what technological inventions are being created using gloves, check out vacuum powered wall climbing gloves or a texting glove that is modified for the hearing impaired.
