Low Cost and Fast Development of 3D Printed Gloves for 10 Degrees of Freedom Gesture Recognition

The decreasing cost allows easy access and diffusion of 3D printers even for domestic use in the same way as 2D printers. The present work proposes the development of a sensorial glove in 3D printing, featuring low cost, easy reproduction and replacement. A 3D desktop printer, that was able to extrude different plastic materials, was used. In order to generate the geometric shape that best suited the hand anatomy, the 3D CAD design was based on hand photos from the top and the sagittal section. The design of the glove includes the sensor housings, which are pockets within which the sensor can slide during joint bending. The wiring of 10 flex sensor and the acquisition board designed for a Lycra glove were easily applied to the printed glove without modification. The glove in 3D printing was able to control virtual or mechanical hands, which provides for surgical, military, space and civil applications. The possibility to achieve waterproofing allows the use in applications that require contact with solvents or water. A standard test applied to six healthy subjects demonstrated that the proposed glove achieves performances, in terms of repeatability, reproducibility and reliability, comparable to that of the other literature gloves.