Gesture Translator Glove Project
Hello everyone,
Every year, I feel that the final few weeks of classes are the most stressful, since every single teacher assigns a week-long project that has a tremendous impact on my grades. Today I will be sharing the story behind one of my favorite and quite intriguing end-of-the-year projects! Back when I was in seventh grade, I took an advanced electronics and e-textiles class. Over the span of the course, I got to play around with various types of silly sensors, but one specific one fascinated me – the flex sensor. As usual, the final project was inescapable, but thankfully I had a little something in mind. I was mesmerized by the idea of designing a smart glove, similar to the Nintendo Powerglove, but I had a problem. I wanted my project to be more than a piece of garbage used for entertainment. I wanted to create something that can benefit people, particularly the people around me.
Meet the glove!
“Selective mutism is a severe anxiety disorder where a person is unable to speak in certain social situations, such as with classmates at school or to relatives they do not see very often. It usually starts during childhood and, if left untreated, can persist into adulthood.”
When my sister turned four years old my parents registered her in preschool. During the first few weeks there, she refused to communicate with everyone. At first, my parents thought this was something temporary and that my sister was being excessively timid. But soon the weeks turned into a month, and then another month, and then another one. My parents started to become worried. They sought advice from a doctor; the doctor diagnosed her with selective mutism. Luckily, as my sister grew up, she began to speak up in the classroom.
I constructed this glove to assist other children like her, who need assistance expressing their voices.
I even made a simple “sign language” that the glove can “translate ” into readable text.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my wonderful project! Currently, I am working on improving the glove, and hopefully, someday, the glove will be accessible to the people that need its support.
