Students Use Texas Instrument's New Innovation Lab to Dream Up Gadgets
From: IEEE The Institute - 05/22/2015
By: Monica Rozenfeld

A wearable device to help the deaf communicate is just one of the projects
being developed

Roozbeh Jafari, an associate professor at UT Dallas and three of his students
are using Texas Instruments new Innovation Lab to develop a device that can
translate American Sign Language into words on a computer screen to help
those who are deaf communicate with others who do not know sign language.

The system is currently set up as a glove embedded with sensors that can
detect the movement of the fingers and hands when making signs. It uses six
motion sensors to capture hand movement and four electromyography (EMG), or
muscle, sensors to detect muscle activity in the fingers. Instead of placing
the sensors along the fingers, which can be cumbersome, explains Jafari, the
device will eventually house the sensors in a device similar to a wristwatch.
The EMG sensors can detect muscle activity throughout the hand directly from
the wrist.

When those who communicate in American Sign Language use the device, their
hand gestures are interpreted wirelessly via Bluetooth through a software
system that can currently translate 40 signs, including those for please,
excuse me, and thanks. The translation then appears on a computer screen—and
potentially on a mobile device—and is audible for the person that is being
communicated to. The computer system can also translate spoken words into
sign language on the screen for two-way communication. 

Read the entire article at:
http://theinstitute.ieee.org/people/students/students-use-texas-instruments-new-innovation-lab-to-dream-up-gadgets

Links:
Real-time American Sign Language Recognition using Wrist-worn Motion and
  Surface EMG sensors (video 0:32) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTkGGJdcqYg

Texas Instruments Supports Innovative Research with New Lab 
https://www.utdallas.edu/news/2015/3/24-31459_Texas-Instruments-Supports-Innovative-Research-wit_story-wide.html

Roozbeh Jafari
http://www.ee.utdallas.edu/people/facultypages/Jafari.html