Students from Carnegie Mellon University have come up with a novel idea of a glove named Handtalk that converts hand movements into text,  allowing the deaf to better express themselves.

A long way from being perfected, Handtalk glove is worn on the hand by the deaf or mute person and depending on the variation of movement, the device will convert it intelligently into text and display it on a mobile phone for the another person to read.

The high-tech glove senses movements through flexor pads which detect the different patterns of motion and the way the finger curls. The device can sense carefully each resistance and each movement made by the hand. Currently the device can convert only 32 words, but depending on the success of this device few more additional words may be added later onto this expressive system.

Designed for individuals who cannot interpret American Sign Language the glove along with their cell phone would allow for rudimentary communication. Senior computer engineering students Bhargav Bhat, Hemant Sikaria and Jorge L. Meza , demonstrated the prototype May 8th at Carnegie Mellon’s “Meeting of the Minds” expo of undergraduate research projects. The Handtalk glove could be a big advantage” for hearing-impaired people, Mr. Bhat said. “It would cut out the need for an interpreter.”

The glove works in a unique way. When it is first held in the fist it greets ‘Good morning’ and when one extends the index finger, second finger and thumb, the device responds ‘I’m having a good time’ and hold out the index finger, little finger and thumb, The Handtalk glove will courteously respond as ‘Thank you for your time’. The inventors of this device give us a strong hope that this polite and humble invention can reach the hands of the needy as soon as possible.

Brent Curtis - Editor