Smart Gesture Vocaliser Glove

Team SignTech

SignTech consists of six team members – Dafe, Omar, Mohammed, Zaim, and Rajan. They have created a smart glove to help improve communication with those that are hard of hearing or have hearing impediments.  

Give us a brief overview of your project

The Smart Gesture Vocaliser model is an innovative apparatus that aims to enhance communication for people with speech and hearing impediments. This technology allows users to communicate their thoughts and ideas by converting hand gestures into spoken words. The prototype uses a camera to record the user's hand movements, which are then analysed by a computer algorithm to recognise the intended message. The system then generates an audio output that conveys the user's message accurately. 

What made you want to develop this idea?

We wanted to enhance the quality of life for people with speech and hearing impairments and provide them with a new way to communicate that does not rely on traditional speech or sign language. It also has the potential to reduce communication barriers for these individuals, enabling them to interact more easily with others in their daily lives. 

Why is there a need for what you’re creating

There is often a communication barrier with others in this demographic, so we wanted to reduce these barriers for these individuals and enable them to interact more easily with others in their daily lives. 

Can you explain about the kind of equipment you are using, and how you are creating the physical product?

The smart gesture vocaliser project uses many different technologies and devices to interpret and translate the user's gestures accurately. This includes C++, Arduino, a sensor, and Bluetooth. The model itself consists of a glove embedded with sensors and a microcontroller, which is controlled using a smartphone app. 

The user wears the glove on their dominant hand and gestures using their fingers or hand. The sensors on the glove detect the movement and send the information to the microcontroller, which processes the data and sends it to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The app then translates the gesture into a word or phrase and speaks it out loud through the smartphone's speaker or headphones. 

Where do you envision the future of this project?

One potential impact of our product on the market is increased accessibility for individuals who may have previously struggled to communicate. This technology allows for more natural and intuitive communication, which will especially benefit individuals with cognitive or motor impairments. 

Additionally, the Smart gesture vocaliser technology will create new market opportunities for companies specialising in assistive communication devices. As this technology becomes more mainstream, there may be increased demand for devices specifically designed to work with the Smart gesture vocaliser technology, such as smart glasses or specialised sensors. 

One exciting possibility for the future of Smart gesture vocaliser technology is integrating artificial intelligence and natural language processing. This would allow the technology to not only recognise gestures and facial expressions but also to understand the context and meaning behind them, generating more nuanced and natural-sounding speech as a result. 

Additionally, there is the potential for the Smart gesture vocaliser technology to be integrated with other assistive technologies, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. This could allow for even greater communication options for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.