[dbaust] Electronic Glove from Germany

From: "claire tellefson" <desktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "deafblind freelist" <dbaust@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:43:16 +1000
Mobile Lorm Glove
Communication and translation device for deafblind persons
The Mobile Lorm Glove is a mobile communication and translation device for 
deafblind persons. The glove translates the hand-touch alphabet "Lorm", a 
common form of communication used by people with both hearing and sight 
impairment, into text and vice versa.

Textile pressure sensors located on the palm of the glove enable the deafblind 
user to "lorm" onto his or her own hand to compose text messages. A Bluetooth 
connection transmits the data from the glove to the user's handheld device. It 
is then automatically forwarded to the receiver's handheld device in the form 
of an SMS. If the wearer of the Mobile Lorm Glove receives a text message, the 
message will be forwarded via Bluetooth from his/her handheld device to the 
glove. Initiated by small vibration motors located on the back of the glove, 
tactile feedback patterns allow the wearer to perceive incoming messages.

The Mobile Lorm Glove provides particularly two innovative ways of 
communication for deafblind people. It supports mobile communication over 
distance, e.g. text message, chat or e-mail, and it enables parallel 
one-to-many communication, which is especially helpful in school and other 
learning contexts. With this newly developed technology and interaction, it 
will soon become possible to also "feel" E-Books or Audiobooks. The Mobile Lorm 
Glove functions as a simultaneous translator and makes communicating with 
others without knowledge of "Lorm" possible. As a result, it empowers deafblind 
people to engage with a wider social world and further enhances their 
independence.

The next step of our research will be to prepare the implementation of direct 
speech input and output.

Background
The Mobile Lorm Glove is part of the project "DESIGNABILITIES - 
Disability-inspired Interaction", which in a larger research scheme focuses on 
perspectives for Interaction Design in terms of an enhancement of 
Information-Communication-Technologies and Human-Computer-Interaction, by 
transferring properties from "disability" contexts (e.g. deaf/blind 
communication) into general contexts of communication (e.g. localisation in 
loud or crowded environments via gesture-based or tactile info transfer).

External Partners: Allgemeiner Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Berlin (ABSV) 
+ Oberlinhaus Potsdam

http://phys.org/news/2012-04-glove-messaging-path-deaf-blind.html
[dbaust] Electronic Glove from Germany

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