I (Cathy) was amazed to recently read about two Washington University sophomores, David Azodi and Thomas Pryor, who’s work was highlighted in Discover Magazine. These clever young men have been recognized for an invention that could break down communication barriers for the deaf. Sign Aloud is a pair of sensor-filled gloves that interpret the hand movements American Sign Language users use to communicate, and converts them into speech or text that the rest of us can understand. The students designed the gloves inside the CoMotion MakerSpace, a collaborative workshop on campus. They recently received the Lemelson-MIT Student Prizefor their work, which is a yearly award given to undergraduates for innovative inventions. They won in the “Use It” category, and received a $10,000 grant along with the prize.
Follow the link below for a demonstration of this brilliant use of technology.
Literacy Teaching and Teacher Education 