A young Kenyan engineer has garnered global attention for inventing a groundbreaking piece of assistive technology: smart gloves that translate sign language movements into audible speech in real time.
Roy Allela, a software engineer, created the device, dubbed Sign-IO, with the mission of bridging the communication gap between the deaf and hearing communities, a mission personally inspired by his deaf niece.
The gloves feature flex sensors strategically placed on each finger. These sensors measure the bend and position of the fingers, which represent different letters, words, and phrases in sign language.
- Capture: The sensors capture the signed gestures.
- Transmit: This data is sent via Bluetooth to an accompanying Android mobile application.
- Vocalize: The app utilizes a text-to-speech function to vocalize the translated words, allowing the user’s signing to be understood by anyone.
“My niece wears the gloves, pairs them with her phone or mine, then starts signing—and I’m able to understand what she’s saying,” Allela explained in a past interview. He also ensured the app allows users to customize the pitch, speed, and language of the voice output to make the experience more comfortable and personal.
The invention has already received significant accolades, including the Hardware Trailblazer Award at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) global finals in New York.
Allela’s ultimate goal is to introduce the Sign-IO gloves into special needs schools across Kenya to give deaf children better access to education and social interaction, helping to dismantle the stigma associated with hearing impairment. The gloves are also designed with fun, customizable patterns—like Spider-Man or princess themes—to appeal to young users.
This Kenyan innovation stands as a powerful example of how locally-inspired technology can solve global accessibility challenges.
