About SilentSignal

Our mission, vision, and roadmap for inclusive haptic communication.

Let Every Player Feel the Game

SilentSignal was born from a simple belief: every athlete deserves to be fully connected to their team and coach, regardless of hearing ability. In youth sports, communication is everything — and too many players are left out.

We're building an open-source, affordable haptic communication system that bridges the gap between coaches and players using vibration patterns transmitted over low-cost RF hardware. No expensive devices. No app subscriptions. Just clear, immediate signals that anyone can feel.

Accessibility First

Deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes are at the heart of this project. Traditional coaching relies on voice commands, whistles, and hand signals that can be missed in noisy, fast-paced environments. SilentSignal provides an alternative communication channel that works through touch — bypassing auditory barriers entirely. Our goal is to make sports more inclusive from the ground up.

Beyond Sports

While youth sports is our primary focus, the SilentSignal system has applications far beyond the playing field:

  • Industrial environments: Silent communication in high-noise factories and construction sites
  • Emergency services: Tactical signals for first responders in chaotic scenarios
  • Military / tactical: Stealth communication without audible or visible signals
Roadmap
  • 4-button transmitter prototype with LED feedback
  • RF transmission integration (coach to player)
  • Haptic motor output on receiver
  • Player ID targeting via potentiometer
  • Enclosure design for wearable form factor
  • Field testing with youth sports teams
  • Phase 2: Custom PCB + wristband design
Contributing

Pull requests are welcome! If you're working in youth sports, accessibility tech, or embedded systems and want to help make sports more inclusive, open an issue or reach out on GitHub. Whether it's hardware design, firmware, documentation, or testing — every contribution matters.

Tech Stack
Microcontrollers
Arduino Uno R4 WiFi, Arduino Nano
Communication
433MHz RF (RadioHead / RH_ASK library)
Haptic Output
DC 3V 6mm rumble motors
Power
USB battery pack or 9V battery
Language
C++ (Arduino)
License
MIT