Acceleglove

What Is It?

The AcceleGlove is an instrumented glove that can be used as a communication and control device for recognizing hand gestures or controlling computers and robotic devices.

How Does It Work?

The AcceleGlove contains six accelerometers on the fingers and the back of the hand that sense hand and finger orientation and movements.  Pattern recognition software captures and recognizes static hand positions, as well as dynamic gestures.

What Will It Accomplish?

  • Provides an ideal interface for recognizing gesture-based communication such as sign language or military hand signals
  • Provides an intuitive interface for computers, gaming devices, virtual environments and visual displays
  • Provides an intuitive interface for controlling robotic devices such as unmanned vehicles and payloads such as robotic arms or cameras
  • Provides a means for tracking hand movements for medical assessments and rehabilitation, including telerehabilitation applications

The AcceleGlove technology was developed, in part, under an Office of Naval Research-funded Small Business Innovation Research grant as part of a communication system that  enables warfighters to communicate with each other using standard hand signals, without requiring them to be within line-of-sight of each other. A standard military field glove with embedded sensors automatically captures hand signals and sends information electronically to other team members.  

The AcceleGlove was designed as a tool to assist any type of gesture capture study, project, or application that wanted to utilize the movement of the hand, wrist and fingers. While other gloves have been available on the market for several years to perform this kind of work, they were either linked to specific applications, complicated and uncomfortable to use, or simply price prohibitive. The AcceleGlove was designed to overcome all of these limitations, yet still provide the accuracy required for research and the usability required for commercial use.

The AcceleGlove reinvents the concept of an input device, replacing the need for a gamepad, joystick, trackball or mouse. As a controller, the AcceleGlove can use hand or finger movement to act as commands for controlling video games, robots, simulators, virtual reality environments, or any other video or machine based application you might imagine. While previous gaming breakthroughs have incorporated gross arm motion into video games, the AcceleGlove’s patent and patent-pending technology provides the capability to add the individual movement of the hand and fingers to the equation, expanding the possibilities of human interaction.

The AcceleGlove and software developer’s kit is intended to provide a research tool to dramatically move forward the field of hand and gesture study by making an affordable, reliable and accurate research and development device available. The recent addition of a wireless add-on module is expected to expand these capabilities and potential applications even further.

Research Challenges and Opportunities:

  • Larger library of distinct dynamic gestures
  • Increasing durability and water resistance of sensors and wiring
  • Enabling gloves to be washable

Point of Contact:

Jack M. Vice
(301) 495-0770 x111
jvice@atinc.com

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