Deaf-Vibe: A Vibrotactile Communication Device Based on Morse Code for Deaf-Mute Individuals

This paper proposes an alternate solution for easy communication by deaf and mute people. A device named Deaf-Vibe has been developed, which enables deaf and mute people to communicate rather easily with others using tactile senses and gestures. The device converts voice inputs by normal people to vibrotactile output in Morse code. In this method, the voice message is converted to text first and then to equivalent Morse code signals using a built-in Morse code conversion table. These signals drive vibration motors placed inside the fingers of a wearable glove. A deaf person wearing the glove senses the vibration in his or her fingers and understands the message. This device can also be used by a mute person to send messages by bending fingers in the Morse code sequence. The flex sensors placed within the glove fingers sense the finger movement and generate equivalent electrical signals which are then converted to text using a text-to-voice synthesizer to be finally pronounced and heard as audible messages. The resulting device is a simple, low-cost efficient and wearable solution which can be used by deaf and mute people in their everyday lives as an effective communication tool.