Electronic gloves turn gestures into speech

A new set of electronic gloves may give new meaning to the term "Sign language."

 

Developed by students from the Ukraine, the gloves convert gestures made by the wearer into speech, according to a report on Discovery News.  

^{Photo: via EnableTalk}  

"The person wearing the gloves draws a shape in the air. That information is transmitted them via Bluetooth to a smartphone, which matches the shape up against a set stored in memory. A match produces a sound," the Discovery report said.

 

Citing a video from the British Broadcasting Co., the report said that, for example, waving one's hands in a particular pattern produces "nice to meet you" and another pattern produces "system really works."

 

The gloves contain sensors, including an accelerometer, compass, gyroscope and flex sensors in the fingers. These translate movement into signals that a computer converts into speech.

 

Dubbed EnableTalk, the project was a winner of the software design category at Microsoft's Imagine Cup contest, where students from around the world showcase technology projects.

 

Its creators were Pasternikov Anton, Osika Maksim, Yasakov Valeriy and Stepanov Anton, students at the Donetsk branch of the “Step” Computer Academy.

 

But Discovery News said the gloves have limitations, including that the gestures stored in the computer are not yet sign language, at least at this stage.

 

"Sign language is as complex as any other language, and American Sign Language differs from its French or German counterpart. So far, the system can only read a dozen or so movements," it said.

 

It said another challenge will be durability and usefulness as most people do not wear gloves all the time.

 

Still, Discovery News said the technology is still new, with room left for improvements such as streamlining the system and finding ways to expand the range of gestures the system can understand. — TJD, GMA News