Hand Exoskeleton for Force Feedback in Virtual Reality

Abstract

Over the past decade, the development of haptic interfaces for use in virtual reality has seen considerable attention as the sensation of touch remains a largely missing component in the immersion of virtual worlds. Hand exoskeletons remain a popular choice when designing haptic interfaces due to their mobility and large workspace. While there have been many hand exoskeletons developed by various groups over the years, the bulkiness of designs as well as the high cost of devices have impeded their widespread adoption.

This project presents the development of a haptic hand exoskeleton for virtual reality, with a design focus on compactness and low cost. Various actuation mechanisms were explored in the first stage of development, with the final device using a system of cables to apply forces on the fingers based on forces experienced in a virtual environment.

Ultimately the goal of allowing a user to experience forces from a virtual environment was achieved, and the resulting device proved to be fairly compact and lightweight compared to similar gloves that have been developed.