Tatum Robotics

Summary

About

About Tatum Robotics

Tatum Robotics develops tactile communication devices for DeafBlind users. Tatum1 translates English input into tactile fingerspelling through a robotic hand shaped and sized like a human hand, allowing a user to receive information directly without relying on a sighted or hearing intermediary.

The Wi-Fi-connected system supports messages, news, stories, weather alerts, time and video calls, with adjustable signing speed, grammar, summarisation and haptic settings. Its flexible hand produces 45 signs and is designed for schools, homes and healthcare settings. Tatum developed the product with feedback from more than 200 DeafBlind people and offers limited direct ordering, setup training and maintenance.

PRICE
Range 1Y
Return
High
Low
Updated
DATA: KORTHOS

Products

Team

  • Samantha Johnson - Founder - Developed the initial fingerspelling-hand project with DeafBlind collaborators.

Timeline

Events

  • 2023-02-24 - Award - Tatum Robotics receives NSF SBIR funding

    The startup was developing a robotic hand for DeafBlind communication. The award supported work on tactile signing robotics. The event adds a concrete robotics milestone in human-assistive, manipulation or human-machine interaction workflows.

    Source
  • 2022-11-16 - Demonstration - Tatum Robotics demonstrates tactile-signing hand prototype

    The 3D-printed prototype spells words with American Sign Language so a user can read its movements through tactile fingerspelling. Tatum Robotics said it had conducted preliminary validation with DeafBlind users and was continuing community-led testing and iteration. The team was developing a compliant robotic arm alongside the hand to support more complex words, phrases and tactile sign-language systems.

    Source

Relations

Relationships

  • National Science Foundation

    Granting Agency - NSF awarded Tatum Robotics SBIR funding for tactile signing robotics.

Context

Shared workflows

Context tags

  • Healthcare robotics workflow - Workflow - Profile QA supports Healthcare Robotics.
  • Assistive robot arm control - Workflow - Profile QA supports Assistive robot arm control.