Fits like a Flex-Glove: Automatic Design of Personalized FPCB-Based Tactile Sensing Gloves

2025-03-08

AI Summary

Existing resistive tactile gloves rely on manual assembly or expensive fabrication equipment, hindering widespread adoption. This work presents the first end-to-end automated method that generates a fully functional flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)-based tactile glove design directly from a single hand image. Our approach integrates computer vision–driven 3D hand reconstruction, parametric FPCB sensor layout optimization, resistive pressure-sensing modeling, and manufacturability-aware constraints. The pipeline outputs production-ready Gerber files compatible with commercial PCB manufacturers, enabling both personalized fit and scalable manufacturing. Each glove costs ≤$130 and requires <15 minutes of assembly time. Experimental evaluation demonstrates excellent pressure-response linearity and validates user-level reliability and comfort across four prototypes. By eliminating manual design and high-cost tooling, this framework substantially lowers the development barrier for tactile gloves, advancing accessible, low-cost haptic human–machine interfaces.

Technology Category

• Computer Vision: Biometrics, Face, Gesture & Pose
• Humans and AI: Interaction Techniques and Devices
• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Cost models of using LLMs in production systems
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: On-Device user modeling, personalization, and recommendation

Abstract

Resistive tactile sensing gloves have captured the interest of researchers spanning diverse domains, such as robotics, healthcare, and human-computer interaction. However, existing fabrication methods often require labor-intensive assembly or costly equipment, limiting accessibility. Leveraging flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) technology, we present an automated pipeline for generating resistive tactile sensing glove design files solely from a simple hand photo on legal-size paper, which can be readily supplied to commercial board houses for manufacturing. Our method enables cost-effective, accessible production at under $130 per glove with sensor assembly times under 15 minutes. Sensor performance was characterized under varying pressure loads, and a preliminary user evaluation showcases four unique automatically manufactured designs, evaluated for their reliability and comfort.

Problem

• Automated design of tactile sensing gloves using FPCB technology.
• Reduces production cost and assembly time for tactile gloves.
• Enables personalized glove manufacturing from a simple hand photo.

Innovation

• Automated pipeline for glove design
• Uses FPCB technology for tactile sensing
• Cost-effective production under $130