This Electronic Glove Gets a Grip on Human Touch

BYKATHERINE J. WUWEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019 NOVA NEXTNOVA NEXT

A low-cost glove for artificial touch, equipped with 548 pressure sensors. Image Credit: Courtesy of Subramanian Sundaram, MIT -->

      A glove studded with a network of sensors can identify objects through touch alone. It might be a big step toward designing better prosthetics.

     Even blindfolded, most people could probably tell if someone tossed a football into their lap.

     A quick brush of the fingertips would expose the football’s oblong shape and trademark laces; a gentle squeeze would reveal its inflated interior and dimpled, leathery texture. Especially sensitive hands might even pick out where the ball’s seams came together, or the subtle, embossed lettering spelling out “Wilson” on its flank.

     Even when our other senses fail, the tactile information fed to our brains remains a powerful tool to navigate our surroundings. It’s hard to imagine life—or approximations thereof—without it.