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Smart glove could help deafblind people

Swatches | August 1, 2025 | By: ATA

A prototype black smart haptic glove. The cuff extends well past the wrist, and the fingertip ends of the glove are not sealed. The researcher's fingertips are seen in the picture. The smart glove has white rectangular devices strapped to it around the bottom of the cuff.
A prototype smart glove for deafblind people supports real-time communication by turning the spoken word into haptic feedback. Image: Nottingham Trent University

Smart gloves being developed by Nottingham Trent University may one day aid deafblind people to understand live conversations through the translation of the spoken word into a form of vibrating braille.

Artificial intelligence will interpret conversations on the wearer’s behalf and provide a summary of what’s said via tiny haptic actuators that are embedded in the fingers of the electronic gloves below the knuckles. These actuators vibrate at different amplitudes, frequencies and for varying lengths of time to relay words, numbers and grammar in a similar way to which
raised dots communicate the braille alphabet on a six-figure grid.

The messaging has the potential to provide directions and communicate phone notifications, fire alarms and doorbells as well as interpretations of music or visual art.

The study is based on a working prototype for which a conference proceeding was published March 15.

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