As Paul J. Meyer said, “Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” However, some people are not able to speak out for themselves.
Created in 2019, HERMES is the first of its kind, which introduces the use of Arduino microcontrollers and sensors to become interactive data processing gloves that can diminish the problems of the deaf and mute in communicating with others in terms of non-verbal, gesture-based communication.
The purpose of the invention is to develop an Arduino-based tool that will use gesture-to-voice system in order to assess the special necessities of the deaf / mute as well as helping them to communicate with other people by letting them see the spoken words of a person that speaks to them. This in turn would help them in becoming more interactive especially in their education as well blending in within the society.
HERMES gives solutions by reducing the communication barriers of the deaf / mute in communicating with other people, assisting them in developing social skills by diminishing a part of their disability, and aiding them in situations whereas, they need to communicate with people who cannot do sign language or in vice versa, they cannot lip read what a person says while that person is speaking.
It is advantageous in giving the deaf / mute a step to link themselves to society, with the use of a wearable glove that can convey sign language to speech and speech to displayed text. The device will have a short amount of time to read multiple gestures and display text from said speech, while being comfortable to the user. As it is mobile, the product can be used in outdoor areas and still function properly. The power source is also reliable, as it is rechargeable. Overall, HERMES is a well-rounded product that can be manufactured easily and can be used for many purposes in communicating the deaf / mute to other people.
Potential commercial applications of this invention can be targeted with the special education sector as its beneficiaries, with the goal of this invention is to support the deaf / mute within the functionalities of the said product. Further development of the product may enable it to be more compact and effective in performing the said functionalities.
