Virtual Assistance Environment for Deaf People Based on an Electronic Gauntlet

Assistive technology allows people with different types of disabilities to get involved in everyday activities through the use of electronic systems. In the case of people with hearing and language impairments, their specific limitations to communicate with other individuals restrict in great amount their development within society. For this reason, the following paper promotes the development of a virtual assistance environment based on electronic gauntlet composed by an artificial voice module, wireless connection and a 2.8-inch screen, which allows the real-time interpretation of sign language. In addition, a human machine interface (HMI) has been implemented through a 3D graphics engine in order to train deaf people and normal hearing society in the use of this system. The system resulting from this investigation, gives hearing impaired people higher insertion possibilities into society by means of a device which: facilitates the communication with people who doesn’t have any knowledge of fingerspelling and can be used as sign language learning tool by people of any age whether they have hearing impairments or not