Talk to the hand via 'HandTalk'
(Credit:
Carnegie Mellon University)
There may come a day when telling someone to "talk to the hand" will be socially acceptable.
Designers Bhargav Bhat, Hemant Sikaria, and Priya Narasimhan are working on a prototype called "HandTalk," which essentially is a phone for the hearing impaired. This wearable glove device detects the motions and gestures used in sign language, translates them into audio, then plays it all back on a cell phone or mobile device.
Recently showcased at the Meeting Of The Minds expo at Carnegie Mellon University Center, the mobile software app can reportedly detect 32 words to date--a mere drop in the ocean, but it's a start. One the team members hopes to expand by integrating pressure sensors and accelerometers to augment the flexor strips on the glove's digits. Hopefully, this will turn out to be more than vaporware, unlike a certain glove camera we've seen.
(Source: Crave Asia)
