An engineer from Kenya has used smart textiles and sensors to create a glove that ‘translates’ sign language to words via an app.
Roy Allela’s niece was born deaf, and he wanted to help the family communicate better.
The Sign-IO gloves have five flex sensors mounted on each finger to quantify how much a finger is bent. They convert the change in bend to electrical resistance – the more the bend, the more the resistance. They then send messages to a program via Bluetooth and a text-to-speech engine vocalises the predicted gestures.
“My niece wears the gloves, pairs them to her phone or mine, then starts signing and I’m able to understand what she’s saying,” said Mr Allela. “Like all sign language users, she’s very good at lip reading, so she doesn’t need me to sign back.”
Courtesy: Sports Textiles
Hyosung will present its latest textile innovations made from renewable and recycled resources at Première Vision Paris, taking place from…
Karl Mayer has expanded its RDJ machine range with the new RDJ 6/2 in E 32 gauge to give manufacturers…
Manchester-based clothing manufacturer WAWWA is investing £120,000 in digital manufacturing technology to improve factory productivity and reduce material waste.
HKRITA has developed an intelligent clothing system that can automatically adjust its thermal insulation according to changes in temperature.
British knitwear manufacturer John Smedley and London-based fashion label Wales Bonner have released their second co-branded collection for Autumn/Winter 2026.
ReFiber has launched a campaign to collect unused clothes from consumers and help address the growing problem of post-consumer textile…