Development of a soft robotic glove with high gripping force using force distributing compliant structures

This paper presents a high-force grip assist glove composed of soft and flexible materials. By using a new force distributing compliant structure, the proposed glove can assist high gripping force while adapting to human hand motion, which is difficult for conventional soft robotic gloves. The force distributing compliant structure is comprised of flexible frames, soft fabrics and belts, and can transmit a high force or moment to the distal end, even though the whole structure is flexible. Therefore, the proposed glove can assist gripping without a harmful load or misalignment on the human fingers. The palmar side of the glove is made of a thin and soft fabric and belts to facilitate the transfer of tactile sensation. The proposed assist glove enables the user to manipulate various objects owing to both the softness and high gripping force. The basic concept as well as thorough theoretical analysis about the force distributing compliant structures is described, and the experiments for quantitative validation of the developed assist gripper are presented.