TEXTILES.ORG
Thousands of people who are born deafblind will understand live conversations for the first time thanks to new research into smart textiles being developed by Nottingham Trent University (NTU). This first-of-its-kind study will eventually allow the spoken word to be translated into a form of braille and communicated through e-textile gloves to the fingers of people who cannot hear or lip-read.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will interpret conversations on the wearer’s behalf and provide a summary of what’s said via tiny haptic actuators that are embedded in the fingers of the electronic gloves. These actuators vibrate in a code to relay words, numbers and grammar to the wearer in a similar way to which raised dots communicate the braille alphabet on a six-figure grid.
The actuators, situated on the tops of the fingers below the knuckles, can vibrate at different amplitudes, frequencies and for varying lengths of time, allowing for numerous communications possibilities. These can include the potential to provide directions, communicate phone notifications, fire alarms and doorbells, as well as interpretations of music or visual art.
According to the U.K.-based Sense, which provides services for people with disabilities, almost 24,000 deafblind people in the U.K. are aged 0–19 years old, many of whom were born with a condition that caused the disability since birth. An estimated 15 million people worldwide manifest severe deafblindness, with up to 450,000 estimated in the U.K. alone.
Dr. Hughes-Riley, an associate professor in the University’s Advanced Textiles Research Group (ATRG), says, “Thousands of people who are born deafblind could, for the first time ever, be able to understand live conversations thanks to the development of this new technology.
“By this we mean conversations in the street in everyday life, and not just those that are online, as the AI when activated will listen to the spoken word on the wearer’s behalf and provide a summary in real time of what’s being said. Combining this technology with a pair of wearable gloves allows people to integrate it into their everyday lives, which will bring about enormous benefits for them.”
Source: Nottingham Trent University