SmartFingerBraille: A tactile sensing and actuation based communication glove for deafblind people

This paper presents a smart tactile sensing and actuation-based finger-glove to be used by visual and hearing impaired people for communication and learning. It is based on the concept of finger Braille and supports both face-to-face and distant communication. The device comprises of a smart finger-glove worn on both hands in the ring, middle and index finger and communicates with mobile devices using Bluetooth technology. Six tactile sensors and actuators each were used and a pair embedded in the glove in the ring, middle, and index fingers of both hands to represent the six dots of the Braille code. The user wears the smart finger-glove and taps the correct finger combination corresponding to the Braille code on any surface to compose and send messages to mobile devices or other gloves. Messages can equally be received with the glove from a mobile device in the form of vibrations on the fingers corresponding to the Braille codes. The facile and low-cost nature of the device will make it attractive to Braille users and makes learning Braille an entertainment activity and could spur the interest of sighted people also to learn Braille.