*Result*: Development and implementation of a LabVIEW-based virtual instrumentation system for enhancing communication with hearing impaired and visually impaired persons.

Title:
Development and implementation of a LabVIEW-based virtual instrumentation system for enhancing communication with hearing impaired and visually impaired persons.
Authors:
Rathnayake C; School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China., Dhanushka E; Department of Instrumentation and Automation Technology, University of Colombo, Homagama, Sri Lanka., Jayasanka C; Department of Instrumentation and Automation Technology, University of Colombo, Homagama, Sri Lanka., Sandaruwan K; Department of Instrumentation and Automation Technology, University of Colombo, Homagama, Sri Lanka., Kaluarachchi H; Department of Instrumentation and Automation Technology, University of Colombo, Homagama, Sri Lanka., Thilakarathne BLS; Department of Instrumentation and Automation Technology, University of Colombo, Homagama, Sri Lanka.
Source:
Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technology [Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol] 2026 Feb; Vol. 21 (2), pp. 787-800. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Oct 13.
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: Informa Healthcare Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101255937 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1748-3115 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 17483107 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Publication: London : Informa Healthcare
Original Publication: Abingdon, Oxford, UK : Taylor & Francis, c2006-
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: Assistive technology; LabVIEW; flex sensor; gesture recognition; sign language
Local Abstract: [plain-language-summary] People who are visually or hearing impaired find it difficult to communicate with others, so they are not interested in sustaining social relationships.A virtual instrument is a successful solution for the communication aid of hearing- and visually impaired people.This study is focused on developing a virtual instrumentation system for the communication aid of those people by using LabVIEW to recognise hand gestures, display a corresponding message, and give a voice message.
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20251013 Date Completed: 20260213 Latest Revision: 20260213
Update Code:
20260214
DOI:
10.1080/17483107.2025.2572533
PMID:
41082323
Database:
MEDLINE

*Further Information*

*People without sensory impairments may find it challenging to communicate effectively with those who have hearing or visual impairments. Further, hearing-impaired and visually impaired people are not interested in maintaining interpersonal relationships with others due to the difficulty in communicating. As a result, considerable research has been conducted to find an innovative way that make the process of communication easier for them. To overcome the weaknesses and shortcomings of these studies, the authors introduce a unique application. Our application model focuses on developing a virtual instrument that recognises hand gestures, displays a corresponding message, and provides a voice message to assist people with hearing or visual impairments in communication. A flex sensor glove was used for hand gesture detection, and a virtual instrumentation system was developed using LabVIEW software. Ten volunteers with no previous disabilities were initially used to test the system. Seven gestures were selected for the initial evaluation, and each gesture was performed five times, completing a total of 350 trials. The selected seven hand gestures for the initial evaluation were successfully communicated through both audio and visual means by providing them in all three languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English. Furthermore, our system achieved a gesture detection accuracy of 95.42%, with an average response time of less than 0.5 s per gesture. This system is highly beneficial for people with congenital or early-stage hearing loss and visually impaired people who are confined to beds due to illness.*