New e-glove could allow scuba divers shout “shark” attack underwater

Interesting Engineering carries an article about researchers who have developed a new technology that can wirelessly transmit hand gestures made underwater to a computer that can translate them into messages, Caliber.Az reprints the article.

The big challenge here was to make the electronic sensors waterproof for use in a pool or the ocean while retaining the e-glove’s flexibility.

Researchers have developed a new technology that can wirelessly transmit hand gestures made underwater to a computer that can translate them into messages. The development will help divers talk with their partners or those on the surface to relay messages like – ‘Ok’, ‘Exit’, or ‘Shark’.

The whole process relies on a waterproof e-glove, which is aimed at making underwater communication easier for scuba divers.

Usually, when divers have to say ‘I’m okay’ or to make their dive partners aware of some danger, they rely on hand signals to communicate visually. However, sometimes, these movements are hard to see because of distance, darkness, or dirty water.

Therefore, the researchers reporting in ACS Nano have constructed a waterproof ‘e-glove’ that can help divers communicate better.

The waterproof e-glove development

Gloves fitted with electronic sensors that can translate hand motions into information are already in the making. Some e-gloves allow the wearer to interact with virtual reality elements. Some other designs also help people affected by stroke regain fine motor skills.

The big challenge here was to make the electronic sensors waterproof for use in a pool or the ocean while retaining the glove’s flexibility – to allow the wearer to move it according to what they want to convey.

The researchers began by fabricating waterproof sensors that rely on flexible microscopic pillars inspired by the tube-like feet of a starfish. 

Using laser writing tools, the researchers created an array of these micropillars on a thin film of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a waterproof plastic commonly used in contact lenses. After coating the PDMS array with a conductive layer of silver, the researchers sandwiched two of the films together with the pillars facing inward to create a waterproof sensor. 

For attaching the waterproof sensors to the glove, roughly the size of a USB-C port, the researchers packed 10 of these within self-adhesive bandages and sewed them over the prototype’s knuckles and first finger joints.

The sensor is responsive when flexed and can detect a range of pressures comparable to the light touch of a dollar bill up to the impact of water streaming from a garden hose, as per the team.

Gesture vocabulary

To create a hand-gesture vocabulary that the computer can understand, a volunteer was asked to make 16 gestures, including the basics like ‘Ok’ and ‘Exit’. 

The team recorded the specific electronic signals created by the e-glove sensors for each gesture made by the volunteer.

A machine learning technique was then applied for translating sign language into words to create a computer program that could translate the e-glove’s gestures into messages. Upon testing, the program translated hand gestures made on land and underwater with an accuracy of 99.8 per cent. 

As per the team, a version of this e-glove could help scuba divers communicate with hand signals even when they cannot clearly see their dive partners, and also with sending messages to their partners who are on the surface.