Year: 2012

Android Sign Language Interpreting Glove

Android Sign Language Interpreting Glove

It’s hard not to get excited when you see assistive technology like the sign language interpreting Show and Tell Glove from Tel Aviv area makers Oleg Imanilov, Zvika Markfield, and Tomer Daniel. The glove uses a LillyPad Arduino to sample flex sensors, an accelerometer, and gyro into an ADK board that then talks to an Android app that translates sign language and gestures into written text. To improve performance, a neural network is fed gestures manually to compensate for varying hand sizes directly on the handset. They’re still working out the bugs, but the current results are more than encouraging.

Alt.CES: MAKE Team at MakerBot

Alt.CES: MAKE Team at MakerBot

Maker Shed Product Development Mucky-Muck, Marc de Vinck, sent us these phone snaps today of the MAKE team at the MakerBot Industries booth at CES. Tonight, our team found itself at the MakerBot Industries party, too. It was all pizza, PBR, cups o’ quarters, and vintage pinball. Let’s just hope that Bre didn’t get them all drunk and had them make 3D prints they’re going to regret in the morning (the 21st century version of the Xerox machine at the Christmas party).

Alt.CES: Robots for Makers?

Alt.CES: Robots for Makers?

It’s the Consumer Electronics Show, so there are a lot more gadgets for consuming than for making, but I did see a number of robots in the Robotics and Emerging Technologies Tech Zones. The robots could be categorized as: Roomba clones, none of which were readily hackable, big robots, several of which were oriented toward providing telepresence, small robots controlled by on-board smartphones communicating with other smartphones, and even smaller, simpler robots for kids.

How-to Make a Dreamcatcher

Rachael Rice shows how she makes her own dream catcher with a twist. According to Native American tradition, you aren’t supposed to have more than one in your bedroom, but I am very tempted to create a collection of dream catchers in varying colors and sizes. Would that ensure the best dreams ever? More: How-To: […]