Advaith (name changed for privacy) believes he has lost many opportunities for growth in his life and career as he struggles to communicate owing to his hearing impairment.
This communication gap often leads to social isolation and even workplace discrimination, says Aishwarya Karnataki, co-founder of Glovatrix.
Her Pune-based company, co-founded with Parikshit Sohoni in 2020, is building an AI-powered glove that can translate sign language into speech, to enable Advaith and others with similar challenges to communicate effectively.
Rigging together a glove and a smartwatch, the AI-powered wearable device, 5th Sense, can convert voice to text and images for those with hearing impairment. Parallelly, it can translate gestures into spoken words.
“The device has a microphone, a haptic motor, a screen, and sensors that map the movement of fingers in 3D space. We made the device from scratch, using the open-source Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). We also have a supporting app, which is compatible with both Android and iOS. The app is the gateway between our physical device and the cloud, where our algorithm is hosted,” says Karnataki.
Data from the finger sensors is transmitted to a processor, then to the app, and finally to the cloud. The AI algorithm analyses the streamed data, predicts an output, and sends it back — all within nanoseconds.
Work in progress
Glovatrix is currently working on the eighth iteration of the prototype, in consultation, at every step, with those who have hearing impairment.
“We’ve conducted around 12 pilots, beta, and sentiment analysis programmes with almost a thousand stakeholders across India,” Karnataki says.
The gloves support multiple output languages. The greater challenge, she says, is in converting sign language into English. From English, a plug-and-play feature enables further translations into Marathi, Hindi, Spanish, French, and other languages.
The system also enables peer-to-peer communication. “When one user wants to call another deaf person, they just have to press the button and sign. The other user’s watch will vibrate to signal that somebody is calling.”
During emergencies, the device generates a sound to attract attention and sends an SOS message to emergency contacts.
Glovatrix is initially entering the market through B2B channels, and plans a B2C launch later this year, after reaching 2,000–3,000 gestures. Its target consumers include organisations, especially in the hospitality sector, that hire people with hearing impairment. The company is also working with the Odisha government, which has received UN funding to set up an experience centre for assistive technology.
“We have purchase orders from a government agency and the Royal Orchid hotel chain, which recently hired 20-25 employees with hearing impairment,” Karnataki says.
By the end of the year, Glovatrix aims to deploy at least 10 devices across five clients.
Cost advantage
While the company has no direct competition in the Indian market, there are similar devices globally that are more expensive.
“The US-based CyberGloves is priced around ₹32 lakh. While its main function is stroke rehabilitation, sign language translation is just a byproduct. They use expensive flex sensors, but we managed to price our device at ₹30,000 a pair by using IMU sensors, which are cheaper and offer more accuracy,” Karnataki says.
Currently bootstrapped, the company has been relying on government grants; it plans to seek external funding once it gains active users.