Phase 2 // ASL SOHA

Phase 2 was a busy one. We split up across four jobs at once, sewing the hand, building the CNN, setting up the electronics that will move the hand, and continuing to build our website.

The foam hand covered in a white cotton glove with gray cut-resistant finger sleeves

Samarth took on the job of sewing. He had never done it before, so he learned how as he went. Our hand is built around a soft foam core, now covered with a white cotton glove, with gray cut-resistant sleeves over each finger.

To make the fingers move, we need tendons. These are strings that run along each finger so the servos can pull them and bend the finger, just like the tendons in a real hand.

The glove laid flat with a needle, braided fishing line, and pen marks on the fingers

For our tendons we're using braided fishing line, which is thin but very strong, so it won't snap or stretch when the servos pull on it. Before sewing, Samarth measured each finger and marked the path with a pen, adding small marks at every joint where the line needs to be anchored. Then he stitched the line along those marks with the needle.

At the same time, we began writing the code for our Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), the model that will recognize ASL letters, and built the framework for the webcam that feeds it. By the end of this phase, we had made progress toward getting the CNN working. Anish will go in depth on how the CNN code works in the Phase 3 blog.

The DROK power supply, servos, driver board, and multimeter on the counter

We also worked on the power side of the build. We wired the DROK power supply to its power cord, tested the output with a multimeter, and got it running. With power working, we started setting up our servos and the driver board so they're ready to be wired together. On top of that, we kept building the website, the same site you're reading this on, so the build log has a proper home as the project grows.

By the end of this phase, Samarth had two fingers fully sewn, with three left to go. We made progress towards the CNN running, and the power supply is wired, tested, and working. Our biggest takeaway is that sewing takes a lot of time and requires concentration over long periods. Every stitch has to line up with the joints, or the finger won't bend the right way, so we're planning more time for it next phase.