It allows you to relay sensory perceptions as you remotely interact with textures via the robotic arm. According to the unit's designers,
‘A smart glove and an elbow band are also part of the system. They map movements of the hand and the forearm for the robotic arm to then mimics them. But when the arm touches the material, the information is mapped back to the user's hand as a specific vibration. The pairs of gloves and arms, after a brief setup, connect with each other over a wireless Wi-Fi connection. A designated application server handles the transfer of arm movement data and received touch signals’.
The manipulator was developed with the aid of state-of-the-art flexible 3D printing technology, so that it accurately and naturally reproduces the movements of the operator. The prototyping process relied on close cooperation with the user and user testing.
The invention developed at Lodz University of Technology is likely to be useful for people enjoying shopping for clothes at online retailers as well as manufacturing purchasers buying from online wholesale outlets.
The solution took a bronze medal at IPITEX 2023 in Bangkok.