In 2012, two Ukrainian students invented gloves that convert sign language into speech. The gloves have special sensors that turn the signs into texts on a smartphone that also turns the texts into speech. This invention caught my attention because I never used to believe that signs could turn into speech.
This invention will impact the participation of people with speech problems in the activities of society. They will be able to participate in business conferences and will be more productive in the workplace. It does not affect me directly, but I have some family members who will benefit from this invention. I believe it has the potential for improvement because the inventors were only students. They will find more time to refine it and even include the reverse process: where the smartphone can decode what other people say for the people with speech problems.
Advantages
- It helps improve the level of participation of the speech-impaired in daily activities.
- It is very cheap
- It does not require new skills other than simply showing the user how to use the gloves and the smartphone.
Disadvantage
May does not reach all people with speech problems since some people in some countries cannot afford smartphones and special gloves.