The 'smart' glove that could give robots a sense of touch

The low-cost knitted glove employs 550 tiny sensors to recognise an array of objects
The low-cost knitted glove employs 550 tiny sensors to recognise an array of objects Credit: MIT

A sophisticated smart glove, capable of identifying and grasping objects like a human hand, has been developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Using artificial intelligence,  the low-cost knitted glove employs 550 tiny sensors to recognise an array of objects. 

The glove, developed by MIT's  Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL),  can be used by robots and even fitted to a prosthetic hand.

Previous iterations of a smart glove have been developed, but they are not only more rudimentary - having only around 50 sensors - but also far more expensive, costing thousands of dollars. 

This version, known as the scalable tactile glove” (STAG) is made from commercially available materials costing approximately $10 (£7.90).

Researchers used 26 common objects - including a mug, tennis ball, pan and spoon - to created a database of touchpoints which the glove uses to recognise items in its grasp.

Si far it has correctly recognised 76 per cent of objects in its grasp. The glove can also calculate the correct weight of items to within 60 grams.

The glove is laminated with an electrically conductive polymer which changes resistance according to the pressure it feels. It is interwoven with threads from the fingertips to the base of the palm.

This creates what the inventors have described as a “tactile map” of pressure points, which enables to glove to work out what it is holding.

“Humans can identify and handle objects well because we have tactile feedback. As we touch objects, we feel around and realise what they are. Robots don’t have that rich feedback,” said Subramanian Sundaram, one of the researchers behind the project.

“We’ve always wanted robots to do what humans can do, like doing the dishes or other chores. If you want robots to do these things, they must be able to manipulate objects really well.” 

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