A gesture-to-voice robotic device for speech-impaired draws attention
Vimun. A with the smart glove at Robotics exhibition.
| Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin
For Vimun A., coming across a speech-impaired man in 2019 while at the Government Polytechnic College in Palakkad was what sparked the idea of a smart glove that translates gestures to voice.
He continued developing his idea after transferring to the Government Engineering College, Bartonhill, Thiruvananthapuram, through lateral entry three years later. He says he has now created a prototype and named it ‘Gestalk’.
Wearing wired white gloves fitted with sensors and making elaborate gestures that were being translated to voice messages in real time, Vimun drew a large crowd at the Robotics exhibition during Kerala’s first Robotics Round Table here on Friday.
“Our five fingers can create 120 different gestures, which can be pre-trained and translated into voice messages. Sensors on each glove finger capture the gestures and send them to a controller, which converts them to voice messages in the chosen regional language through an accompanying speaker. Besides assisting the speech-impaired, it can help paralysed individuals communicate using minimal gestures,” he said. The device was tested successfully with paralysed patients.
Vimun says he plans to launch the product in six months under his company, Redfox Robotics. The current crude glove will be upgraded to five rings and a smart wristband. The price will range from ₹5,000 to ₹1.10 lakh, depending on features and customization. Vimun also claims it could serve as a learning aid.
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