Final NSCS $15,000 Grant Proposal

The ultimate goal of this project is to produce a fully-functional American Sign Language (ASL) glove that is able to translate the silent language into audible speech. The design of the device will allow it to output text in addition to synthesized speech, so that a person that is speech-impaired or hard-of-hearing can communicate with someone not fluent in ASL.  At this point in time, the Glove only translates letter of the American Manual Alphabet, so it should be noted that it would not be sufficient to actually make a difference in someone’s life. Therefore, the next step in developing this project would be to translate complete words in order to make it usable for everyday life.

For The Glove to be a successful product, it must meet the following requirements.

1. Marketable

A. Device must be efficient

B. Device must be economic

C. Device must be safe

D. Device must be aesthetically appealing

2. Durable

A. Device must be shock resistant

B. Device must be energy efficient

C. Device must be able to withstand temperature fluctuations

3. User Friendly

A. Device must be easy to operate

B. Device must be easy to store

C. Device must be easy to power

D. Device must be comfortable to wear

In order to get this project into major scale production, I would need to have available a good amount of capital in order to keep this project headed in the right direction. Apart from the extra technology that would be needed, there would also be other expenses related to the advancement of the project such as protecting the idea by the means of patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property.

To continue this project, I will first need double, if not more, of almost everything that I have purchased so far. This includes the glove, the flex and touch sensors, the accelerometer, etc. I would also be implementing RF wireless communication between the PIC and the LCD screen. This is so that the user can use the glove without needing a trail of wires leading to the LCD and speaker box. Under miscellaneous expenses, I have included a more expensive LCD screen, so that it may hold more characters/words at the same time. I would also like to include a smaller, more powerful, speaker that would be able to be placed on the glove itself. There are many ideas that could come up along the way that would increase expenses. As far as patents are concerned, there are fees for the original filing, for its issuance, maintenance fees, and inspection fees. The power supply, oscilloscope, wave generator, and digital multimeter are each an essential piece of equipment that would be needed to successfully test and troubleshoot the final product.

Proposed Budget