It may sound like a device from a RoboCop movie set, but in fact the latest prototype Robo-glove is showing a lot of promise. By reducing the grasping force of a factory worker (or astronaut) it can potentially reduce the risk of repetitive stress injuries.
The glove is a spin-off of the first human-like robot Robonaut 2 which is a permanent resident of the International Space Station. The glove is a technological revolution as it mimics the nerves, muscles and tendons found in the human hand. With the help of sensors the glove will follow the instructions from the human hand and add up to half of the grasping force needed to hold for example a hand-held tool.
The glove weighs approximately 0,9 kg excluding the lithium-ion battery pack that will be clipped to the belt of the factory worker.
GM and NASA have a long history developing technology together and hopefully this technology will make it to an actual production plant soon.
