AcceleGlove: A sensor enabled glove to teach you sign language

AcceleGlove is an incredible sensor enabled glove that can act as an input accessory to teach you American Sign Language. The glove, which was put on display at CES 2012, ties into a camera and PC software to help you use your hand gestures to control a computer app or the device itself. The lightweight glove seamlessly incorporates sensors to act as an input device, which will immensely help people with disabilities.

AcceleGlove

AcceleGlove was developed by the Institute for Disabilities Research and Training (IDRT). The National Science Foundation funded the project, which is to get more robust functional applications in future, for instance, integrating hand signal communication into medical and military first response units, where audio or visual communication is impossible.

At CES 2012 in Las Vegas, spectators were ecstatic to see how the AcceleGlove works with a computer. Inventor of the glove Jose Hernandez-Rebollar was busy introducing its functioning to onlookers. AcceleGlove can measure finger movements, thanks to the accelerometers used inside the glove. Meanwhile, the camera can measure distance and dynamic movements of fingers.

Strapping on the AcceleGlove, you can train your hands to spell out ASL alphabet on the computer. The device detects subtle movements that differentiate letters. As per its inventors, the glove’s two-way gesture translator can obviously translate more than 25,000 English words and phrases into ASL. Amazingly, the glove is even capable to translate gestures into both speech and text commands.

As a whole, AcceleGlove will tremendously help deaf computer users. They can interact with the computers, applications and other programs quite easily with the glove. It can also be used in silent commutations, medical rehabilitation, robot control, gaming, virtual reality applications and many others, its designers say.

The glove that weighs just at 54 grams is made of nylon. It highlights a resolution of 10 bit A/D for each axis and orientation range of 180 degrees. Six 3-axis micro electromechanical accelerometers are implemented inside the glove. For interfacing with the computer, the glove has got a USB virtual serial port with 38400bps. Power supply for the accessory is drawn from USB port.

In future, the AcceleGlove can be harnessed to translate commands to PC operating systems, TV sets, tablets and other devices. Indeed, it can be a better option for hand signals while conditions make audio and visual communication difficult. IDRT sells the current iteration of both the glove and software for $300.

Via: Engadget