Over the years, Kenya continues to boast its fair share of genius inventions that have left a mark on a global stage.
In this article, Nairobileo.co.ke takes a look at the smart gloves technology developed by Kenyan youth, Roy Allela. The gloves are devices to convert sign language signals to audio speech.
Allela's invention was necessitated by the need to communicate with his now 8-year-old niece. According to him, she struggled to relate to the rest of the family as most of them did not understand sign language.
The smart gloves consist of flex sensors that are fitted on each finger and have the capacity to quantify the bend of a finger and process the letter being signed.
The gloves use Bluetooth technology to connect to an application which then converts the sign into audio speech.
“My niece wears the gloves, pairs them to her phone or mine, then starts signing and I’m able to understand what she’s saying,” says Allela.
The 27-year-old notes that the gloves factored in speed and accuracy in the development. Through the app, users can control a variety of options such as language, the pitch of the audio, with the accuracy results amounting to 93 per cent.
Allela states that the technology can be customized into various themes which suit the user.
In 2019, he won an award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
During the 57th Mashujaa day celebrations at the Gusii Stadium in Kisii on October 20, 2020, Allella was commended for his efforts by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
President Uhuru, who was the chief guest at the event, lauded the 25-year-old for his unique invention that has placed him among the new generation of unsung heroes.
