Current Date: 03 Jul, 2026
{{entry.title}}

Kenyan Innovator Creates Smart Gloves That Translate Sign Language Into Audible Speech

In 2023, a Kenyan inventor Roy Allela invented smart gloves that can convert sign language movements into audio speech, for his six years old niece who was born deaf.

Roy Allela, a 25-year-old inventor, is genuinely changing lives through his passion for contemporary technology.

Sign-IO smart gloves were created by an Oxford University data science tutor and tech enthusiast to facilitate easy communication with the deaf community.

Seventy million people speak over 300 sign languages, but only a small percentage of people worldwide are able to understand them. There is now a barrier separating the deaf community from the general public due to this lack of understanding.

Allela was motivated to design gloves after witnessing firsthand the challenges of communicating with his deaf 6-year-old niece.

In an interview, Allela stated, “My niece puts on the gloves, connects them to her phone or mine, and then begins signing, and I can understand what she’s saying.”

The revolutionary gloves translate sign language gestures into audible speech by using flex sensors on each finger. Every sensor processes the letters being signed and measures the fingers’ bend. Clever, huh?

Once synchronized, users can connect the gloves to the app through Bluetooth. The app then translates the movements into letters, making communication easier for both parties.

Smart Gloves That Translate Sign Language Into Audible Speech 1
Image 1 = Photo credit: peopleofcolorintech.com

Reports state that 70 million individuals globally suffer from hearing impairments of some kind. Even though sign language is the most efficient means of communication with the deaf community, very few people in the world are able to understand it.

The deaf community and those who are not familiar with sign language are separated by this lack of understanding. Roy Allela, a Kenyan inventor, hopes to address this with his most recent creation.

Allela continued, “We integrated that into the mobile application so that it’s comfortable for anyone to use. People speak at different speeds, and it’s the same with people who sign.”

To help teachers better understand their students, the inventor has also implemented the invention in special needs schools located in rural Kenya.

Users can select both the vocalization pitch and their native language via the app. Allela claims that the results are likewise 93% accurate.

Many publications have taken notice of Roy’s intelligent gloves. Even the American Society of Mechanical Engineers awarded the Kenyan inventor a prize.

Similar Stories
A Pilot Survived 20 Minutes Outside A Flying Jet

A Pilot Survived 20 Minutes Outside A Flying Jet

In 1990, the captain of flight 5390 Timothy Lancaster got sucked out of his own plane when the window of the plane fell off. The crew held the captain’s leg for 30 minutes while the plane performed emergency landing. Everyone survived.

Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed

Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed

There is a 300-year-old mummified mermaid with 30 centimetres tall and features a human-like head, two hands with what appear to be fingernails, and its lower body that look like a fish tail. The “mermaid mummy” is being probed by Japanese scientists in an attempt to unravel the mystery of its existence.

Before "The Rock," There Was "Rocky Maivia"

Before "The Rock," There Was "Rocky Maivia"

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s first WWF persona was Rocky Maivia, a face (good guy). The audience rejected him due to his cheesy character, with chants of “Die, Rocky, die!”. After this, he became a heel (villain), referring to himself in the third person as “The Rock” and insulting the audience.

Billy Ray Harris: A Story of Kindness and Honesty

Billy Ray Harris: A Story of Kindness and Honesty

In 2013, a homeless man named Billy Ray Harris discovered a $4,000 engagement ring in this cup. A woman had dropped while giving him some change. He returned the ring to her two days later. To thank him for his honesty, she set up a fund with the goal of raising $4,000 for him. It earned more than $185,000.

China Weather Control on 2008 Olympics with missile

China Weather Control on 2008 Olympics with missile

One thing is certain: when it comes to ensuring nice weather for the world's largest party, the Chinese cannot be accused of being subtle. The Chinese government authorized the use of 1,104 cloud seeding missile launches from 4:00-11:39 p.m. on Friday night to reduce the possibility of rain ahead of the 29th Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing

A U.S. Submarine Collides with a Japanese Fishing Ship in 2001

A U.S. Submarine Collides with a Japanese Fishing Ship in 2001

In 1998, 14-year-old Michael Crowe was charged with the murder of his sister. The police started targeting him after he seemed “distant and preoccupied” when his sister’s body was discovered, and during interrogation, police coercion led him to make a false confession. He was later declared factually innocent and the family won a lawsuit of $7.25 million in 2011.

How 'Brad's Drink' Became Pepsi-Cola

How 'Brad's Drink' Became Pepsi-Cola

Pepsi was first introduced as “Brad’s Drink” in New Bern, North Carolina, United States, in 1893 by Caleb Bradham, who made it at his drugstore where the drink was sold. It was renamed Pepsi Cola in 1898, named after the digestive enzyme pepsin and kola nuts used in the recipe.

Water park in japan, ocean dome: Largest indoor water park in the world

Water park in japan, ocean dome: Largest indoor water park in the world

The Seagaia Ocean Dome, located in Miyazaki, Japan, was the biggest indoor waterpark in the world. An "Ocean" six times the size of an Olympic pool, filled with 13,500 tons of unsalted, chlorinated water kept heated at 28 degrees Celsius and recognized as the largest simulated pool by the Guinness Book of World Records, measures 12,000 square meters of the sandy beach made from 600 tons of stone.

Couple reunites after 60 years apart

Couple reunites after 60 years apart

A Russian couple were reunited after being separated for 60 years. They were married for 3 days when the husband left to join the Red Army. They were unable to find each other until 60 years later when they randomly visited their hometown on the same day.

How hero parrot saved little girl who was choking on her breakfast

How hero parrot saved little girl who was choking on her breakfast

In 2008 Quaker parrot Willie alerted his owner Megan Howard when the little girl she was babysitting began to choke. Howard was in the bathroom when the parrot repeatedly yelled "Mama! Baby!" flapping his wings. Megan rushed and performed the Heimlich maneuver, saving her life. Willie received the Red Cross Animal Lifesaver Award.