A force feedback glove based on magnetorheological fluid : preliminary design issues

Abstract

This work first provides an overview of haptic gloves found in the literature, with a focus on their applications and their requirements. This information is then used to justify the use of Magnetorheological Fluid (MRF), a smart fluid which reversibly changes viscosity proportionally to an applied magnetic field, to effect the force feedback in a haptic glove. This is followed by the development of a linear damper to form part of the proposed glove, as well as a report on our selection of MRF through experiments performed on a number of fluids with different iron content, developed in-house. Finally, the paper describes the position sensing system and the preliminary design of the force feedback glove.