Abstract

Robotic assistants are successfully applied in the healthcare industry. However, they are not ready for autonomous operation in dynamic environments resulting from human influence and may require human intervention or supervision. Nevertheless, they will lighten the burden of the caregivers, since such situations that require direct control are rare. For this purpose, we will create a Smart Glove that can be used to remotely control a robot in healthcare applications. This Master Thesis presents a prototype of haptic feedback gloves that can be used in healthcare for remotely controlling a humanoid robot. After exploring various microelectronic components, we create an electric circuit that contains IMUs and flex sensors to track the fingers. In order to provide haptic feedback, we include vibration motors under the fingertips for tactile feedback and develop a cable system with servo motors for force feedback. The system is controlled by an Arduino microcontroller with Bluetooth connection and can be integrated into existing virtual reality systems. We use a digital twin to simulate the connection to the robot. The glove model is designed to be adjustable to different hand and finger sizes. Since it is supposed to be worn during the whole workday, it needs to be comfortable and easy to disinfect. In the final evaluation, we test the ergonomic features of our glove and suggest improvements.

Results/Implementation/Project Description

Conclusion

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