Stretchable Glove for Precise Hand Motion Detection to Find Application in Remote Surgical Robots

The complex structure and high degrees of freedom in the human hand have traditionally posed challenges for accurately tracking and reconstructing hand movements. Previous attempts typically captured only a narrow range of motions or were able to estimate the positions of specific fingers, which limited their usability in practical scenarios. Now, a breakthrough has been achieved with the creation of a stretchable glove that can accurately estimate the lengths of finger bones and the angles of joints, opening up new possibilities in areas such as remote surgery, control of humanoid robot hands, and virtual and augmented reality applications.

Developed by researchers at Seoul National University (Seoul, South Korea), this stretchable glove incorporates flexible liquid metal sensors that allow for the simultaneous estimation of finger bone lengths and joint angles through a single sensor system. It is designed to adapt to various hand sizes, facilitating real-time tracking and accurate reconstruction of the wearer's hand movements. As reported in Nature Communications, the stretchable glove has an accuracy of approximately 2 mm for bone length estimations and within 5 degrees for joint angle estimations.

Image: Schematic diagram of the proposed glove system hardware (Photo courtesy of Nature Communications)

The error margin for estimating fingertip position is about 4 mm, enabling precise replication of fingertip movements. This accuracy allows for the precise manipulation of objects, such as remotely interacting with smartphone screens or controlling TV remotes. This precision greatly enhances its utility in fields like remote surgical operations, humanoid robot hand control, and immersive VR and AR experiences. The developers of the glove expect it to play a vital role in advancing robotics and medical technology.

"The ability to accurately track and reconstruct various hand movements with this stretchable glove will enable more precise robot manipulation and interaction in the future," said Professor Yong-Lae Park from Seoul National University who led the research team.

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