This unusual exoskeleton glove permits VR pressure suggestions

We’re at the moment seeing one thing of a technological blitzkrieg as firms and engineers try to resolve the issue of tactility in digital actuality (VR). Trendy VR headsets present fairly life like visible and auditory immersion, however that immersion falls aside when customers discover themselves unable to bodily work together with digital objects. Developed by a group of Nationwide Chengchi College researchers, ELAXO is an Arduino-controlled exoskeleton glove that permits complicated pressure suggestions for VR functions.

ELAXO seems to be unwieldy — it’s like an exoskeleton glove made up of 3D-printed struts and joints. Within the demonstrated setup, ELAXO mounts to the person’s wrist and has pressure suggestions constructions connected to their thumb and first two fingers. Every finger receives 4 servo motors, 4 small DC motors, and one bigger DC motor. These motors connect to joints to create on-demand bodily resistance to motion.

For 2 fingers and a thumb, ELAXO requires a complete of 12 servos, 12 small DC motors, and three giant DC motors. Every finger additionally wants an infrared (IR) sensor, for a complete of three. As well as, the big DC motors comprise encoders that use two wires every. Controlling these takes loads of I/O pins, which is why the ELAXO group selected an Arduino Mega board for his or her prototype. It controls the motors via eight twin TB6612FNG drivers. 

The Arduino powers the motors in keeping with what occurs within the VR world. For instance, if a person tries to the touch a stationary object, the motors on that finger would possibly get full energy to maintain the joints from bending and to supply a sense of strong resistance. Different actions, like rotating a knob, end in much less resistance. By gaining granular management over the resistance of every joint, ELAXO can produce convincing pressure suggestions.