Abstract
This communication describes a glove capable of wirelessly translating the American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet into text displayable on a computer or smartphone. The key components of the device are strain sensors comprising a piezoresistive composite of carbon particles embedded in a fluoroelastomer. These sensors are integrated with a wearable electronic module consisting of digitizers, a microcontroller, and a Bluetooth radio. Finite-element analysis predicts a peak strain on the sensors of 5% when the knuckles are fully bent. Fatigue studies suggest that the sensors successfully detect the articulation of the knuckles even when bent to their maximal degree 1,000 times. In concert with an accelerometer and pressure sensors, the glove is able to translate all 26 letters of the ASL alphabet. Lastly, data taken from the glove are used to control a virtual hand; this application suggests new ways in which stretchable and wearable electronics can enable humans to interface with virtual environments. Critically, this system was constructed of components costing less than $100 and did not require chemical synthesis or access to a cleanroom. It can thus be used as a test bed for materials scientists to evaluate the performance of new materials and flexible and stretchable hybrid electronics.
Highlights
This paper describes a sensor glove capable of converting hand gestures to text wirelessly using American Sign Language (ASL), and of controlling a virtual hand
It is our hope that this material could play a role in stretchable hybrid electronics similar to the role played by poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) in soft lithography[3]
The complete process occurred in four steps: (1) a gesture was made and the strain sensors transduced the positions of the knuckles into variable resistance values; (2) the values of resistance were converted into voltages using the voltage dividers; (3) the Teensy microcontroller unit (MCU) measured each of the nine voltages and used them to generate a 9-bit binary key describing the state of each knuckle; and (4) the binary key was used to determine which letter was to be transmitted wirelessly
Summary
This paper describes a sensor glove capable of converting hand gestures to text wirelessly using American Sign Language (ASL), and of controlling a virtual hand. Low-cost, experimentally accessible platforms can allow laboratories to accelerate the discovery of materials designed to be integrated into whole devices in realistic scenarios.[1][2] The key enabling feature of the system is the use of a solution-processed, commercial conductive fluoroelastomer as a strain gauge that is stable over several months in the ambient air and over a thousand strain cycles. It is our hope that this material could play a role in stretchable hybrid electronics similar to the role played by poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) in soft lithography[3]. Wireless gesture decoder with low-power and stretchable electronics number FA9550-13-1-0156. Additional support was provided by the Center for Wearable Sensors in the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California San Diego, and member companies Qualcomm, Sabic, Cubic, Dexcom, Honda, Samsung, and Sony. We declare that the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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