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Lithuanian student invents smart glove to help communication with deaf people

Xinhua, July 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Lithuanian student has invented a smart glove capable of identifying hand gestures and translating it into sounds, announced Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) on Wednesday.

The invention, a smart glove connected with smartphone via wireless connection, can translate hand gestures into words and sounds, helping turn specific language into widely accepted form of expression.

"This glove has been developed as a prototype for possible innovation helping deaf people to communicate with persons unable to understand hand gestures," said Darius Laketcenko, student from VGTU and the author of the invention, in a press release.

"After being improved, this invention can become a mean of reducing social isolation of deaf people and extending their communication abilities," he added.

According to the announcement, the glove can feel finger moves and identify hand position. When a person wearing the glove makes a move, the data is being transmitted via wireless connection to the smartphone operating with Android operating system. The smartphone then processes the data and plays the sound.

The invention was the result of Laketcenko's bachelor's thesis.

Arvydas Stankevicius, the head of the computer engineering department at VGTU, said the invention, if developed, could spark revolution in communication with deaf people.

"The smart glove can identify 15 gestures so far, but the number can grow rapidly if the program would be developed further," said Stankevicius in the press release.

The creator of the smart glove thinks there are many other ways to employ his invention, mentioning keyboard-less and wireless controls of computers and other devices. Endit