MIT researchers have created smart gloves that have the ability to record, transmit, and provide customized haptic input. Technology has the potential to improve both in-person and virtual learning environments.

The training code and experimental data have been made openly available to interested parties by the researchers.

The scientists weave haptic actuators, similar to those found in smartphones, into textiles using a digital sewing machine. The sensations that can simulate holding an object or hitting a button are replicated in the present iteration, reports TechSpot.

The gloves have the potential to bring novel teaching approaches by means of recording feelings and transferring them between users. One way a piano teacher tested the technology was by having students record a song by feeling the keys as they were pressed. When hovering over the appropriate keys, students using smart gloves might experience the same sensation, bringing a tangible component to digitally transmitted education to mimic hands-on training.

Training gloves could also be used by firefighters, pilots, and surgeons. They might also assist humans in teaching robots or provide them with more precise direct control. The researchers used haptic feedback to guide a robot in precisely how much pressure to use when handling fragile goods.

Additionally, a machine learning phase adapts the haptic feedback and gloves to each user according on their hand measurements and reactions. It takes only 15 seconds to personalize a pair of gloves, and about 10 minutes to make a pair for a new user. The fact that each person experiences tactile feedback differently makes this technological feature essential.

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Video games that were tailored to use the haptic feedback for activities like driving and rhythmic following were also used in the experiments. More accurate tactile reception is made possible by individualized sensation, as demonstrated by the superior performance of players with optimized feedback compared to those with unoptimized haptics.

Accuracy might rise with additional development, and the technology could be used for other activities. Smart textiles for less sensitive body parts—like the hands—may become possible with stronger haptics. More sophisticated AI might be used to imitate more difficult jobs like flying an airplane or shaping clay. More user data may result in more realistic tactile simulation and better-fitting gloves.