A force feedback glove based on magnetorheological fluid : prototype development and evaluation

Abstract

Magnetorheological Fluid (MRF) is a smart fluid which reversibly changes viscosity proportionally to an applied magnetic field. In an MRF actuator, this change in fluid properties results in a resistive force/torque, which can be used to provide passive force feedback in a haptic glove. In this work, the development of a force feedback glove based on MRF linear dampers is described. The paper also describes the development of the position sensing system for the glove as well as the development of simulation software for the glove. A first prototype of the glove, with force feedback and position sensing on the middle finger, has been constructed. This work reports on the testing and evaluation of this prototype. Finally a number of proposed improvements directed towards the identified drawbacks are presented.