VR glove powered by soft robotics

Engineers at UC San Diego are using soft robotics technology to make light, flexible gloves that allow users to feel tactile feedback when they interact with virtual reality environments. Now at the prototype stage, the researchers have used their gloves to realistically simulate the tactile feeling of playing a virtual piano keyboard.

Currently, VR user interfaces consist of remote-like devices that vibrate when a user touches a virtual surface or object. “They’re not realistic,” said Jurgen Schulze, a senior author on the research. “You can’t touch anything, or feel resistance when you’re pushing a button. By contrast, we are trying to make the user feel like they’re in the actual environment from a tactile point of view.”

While other research teams have worked on gloves as VR interfaces, these are typically bulky and made from heavy materials, such as metal. The UC San Diego engineers, on the other hand, have developed gloves with a soft exoskeleton equipped with soft robotic muscles that make them light and easy to use.

The system involves three main components: a Leap Motion sensor that detects the position and movement of the user’s hands; a custom fluidic control board that controls the gloves’ movements; and soft robotic components in the gloves that individually inflate or deflate to mimic the forces that the user would encounter in the VR environment. The system interacts with a computer that displays a virtual piano keyboard with a river and trees in the background.

The researchers 3D-printed a mould to make the gloves’ soft exoskeleton — a process that will make the devices easier to manufacture and suitable for mass production, they said. They used silicone rubber for the exoskeleton, with Velcro straps embedded at the joints.

Another key element in the glove’s design is a type of soft robotic component called a McKibben muscle — essentially latex chambers covered with braided fibres. The muscles respond like springs to apply force when the user moves their fingers. The board controls the muscles by inflating and deflating them.

The engineers conducted an informal pilot study of 15 users, including two VR interface experts. All tried the demo, which allowed them to play the piano in VR, and all agreed that the gloves increased the immersive experience.

The engineers are now working on making the glove cheaper, less bulky and more portable. They also would like to bypass the Leap Motion device altogether to make the system more compact.

“Our final goal is to create a device that provides a richer experience in VR,” said senior author Michael Tolley. “But you could imagine it being used for surgery and video games, among other applications.”

Image courtesy of UC San Diego.