Glove-based hand gesture recognition sign language translator using capacitive touch sensor

The sign language translator is a bridge between those who comprehend sign languages and those who do not which is the majority of humanity. However, conventional signa language translators are bulky and expensive, limiting their wide adoption. In this paper, we present a gesture recognition glove based on charge-transfer touch sensors for the translation of the American Sign Language. The device is portable and can be implemented with low-cost hardware. The prototype recognize gestures for the numbers 0 to 9 and the 26 English alphabets, A to Z. The glove experimentally achieved, based on 1080 trials, an overall detection accuracies of over 92 %, which is comparable with current high-end counterparts. The proposed device i expected to bridge the communication gap between the hearing and speech impaired and members of the general public.