The K-glove (also called Robo-Glove) developed by NASA and General Motors can help workers reduce Repetitive Stress Injury. While it will not replace Iron Man, it can help auto workers and astronauts grip and lift heavy tools.
“The Robo-Glove has the potential to reduce the amount of force that an auto worker would need to exert when operating a tool for an extended time or with repetitive motions,” Dana Komin (GM’s manufacturing engineering director) said in a press release.
The glove is covered in pressure sensors which can tell when you’re picking up a object such as a heavy tool. Grasp it, and the glove’s “tendons” retract — holding the tool in position until you’re ready to release it. The amount of force required to hold an object using the glove is reduced by about ten pounds.
The glove adds about two pounds of weight. Plus there’s the battery pack you’ll need to wear as a belt.
So you can’t fight crime, but you can fight carpal tunnel.
While there are not yet any plans for a commercial version of the Robo-Glove, it’s fun to think about how it could be used around the house.
How would you use this glove in your life?
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