Roy Allela, a Kenyan-born inventor, rose to fame in 2019 after creating a pair of smart gloves that improve communication for the deaf.
The six-year-old niece of Allela was born deaf. As none of her family members could communicate with her using sign language, which is a system used by the deaf to create words and letters with their hands, she found it difficult to talk to them. When Allela was 25 years old, he created a pair of “smart gloves” that convert sign language gestures into audible words.
Although 70 million people worldwide speak more than 300 sign languages, very few people globally are aware of them. The deaf community and the rest of the world are separated by this lack of understanding.
Allela was motivated to develop the gloves following firsthand observation of how challenging it was to converse with his 6-year-old, born-deaf niece.
Allela explained, “My niece puts on the gloves, connects them to her or my phone, then starts signing, and I can understand what she’s saying.
The gloves that changed the game Use the flex sensors on each finger to translate hand gestures into spoken audio. Each sensor analyses the signed letters and measures how far the fingers bend. genius, yes?
Once synced, users may link the gloves to an app using Bluetooth, and the software will translate their gestures into letters, making communication between parties easier.
Reports estimate that 70 million people worldwide suffer from hearing loss of some kind. Although sign language is the most efficient means of communication with the deaf community, very few individuals globally are familiar with it.
The deaf community and those who do not comprehend sign language are separated by this lack of comprehension. With his most recent creation, Kenyan inventor Roy Allela hopes to address this issue.
“People speak at different speeds, and it’s the same with people who sign, so we integrated that into the mobile application so that it’s comfortable for anyone to use it,” Allela continued.
To help teachers better understand their children, the inventor has also used the idea in special needs schools in rural Kenya.
Users can select their native tongue and even their vocalisation pitch using the app. Allela claims that the results are also 93% accurate.
Sign-IO Success
Allela created a pair of gloves she called Sign-IO. Each finger of the device has sensors that track the wearer’s motions. They subsequently transmit the data to a mobile phone through Bluetooth. The phone contains an app that converts the movements into speech that can be heard loudly.
At a school for deaf youngsters in Migori County, southwest Kenya, Allela put the gloves to the test. He was able to improve them thanks to the kids who tested them. Allela wants a variety of patterns for the gloves so that kids can buy them with their favourite characters on them. He believes the gloves will benefit the 34 million deaf youngsters that live in the world.
