Exoskeleton for the fingers – ITP works on “textile muscles”
Together with our development partners, we are working on a glove to support limited hand muscles.
The principle of exoskeletons has already caused a stir in the media. And rightly so, because it will enable paraplegics, for example, to walk independently again. On a small scale, however, this has not yet been possible or has been a bulky affair. Now we have developed a solution approach with textile-based actuators to support the gripping function of hands.
These actuators are based on the increase in volume of silicon when a voltage is applied. Textiles coated with silicon can thereby move and thus exert force. The glove made of textile material is coated in the area of the fingers. An electronic and sensor system in the glove activates the system as needed and supplements the small amount of muscle power.
Klaus Richter, managing director of ITP GmbH and coordinator of the joint project “Textile Muscle – Development of a glove to support finger strength with textile actuators”, provides information on the state of development in an interview with COMPAMED magazine. Here you can read the interview: https://www.compamed.de/cgi-bin/md_compamed/…