This glove implements six miniature MR-brakes to restrict motion of the user's fingers in a virtual reality simulation. It provides the sensation of holding an object in the virtual world. As the user moves his hand, a corresponding digital hand model moves in the virtual world. When the digital hand model grasps an object, the glove activates its brakes to stop the user's fingers preventing him from closing his fingers further and driving the virtual hand fingers into the virtual object being grasped.

Video of the Glove (1.04 minutes)

The miniature MR-brakes, developed in our laboratory, can provide about 900 N-mm braking torque. Each brake is about 25mm in diameter, 15mm wide and weighs about 85 grams. They use the serpentine flux path method we developed to increase the torque output while keeping the overall size of the brake small.

Provisional Patent filed.

Publication

• "Compact MR-brake with serpentine flux path for haptics applications,” Third Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems Salt Lake City, UT, 2009.