Recent advances in wearable biosensing gloves and sensory feedback biosystems for enhancing rehabilitation, prostheses, healthcare, and virtual reality

Carl Demolder; Alicia Molina; Frank L Hammond 3rd; Woon-Hong Yeo

doi:10.1016/j.bios.2021.113443

Recent advances in wearable biosensing gloves and sensory feedback biosystems for enhancing rehabilitation, prostheses, healthcare, and virtual reality

Biosens Bioelectron. 2021 Oct 15:190:113443. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113443. Epub 2021 Jun 17.

Authors

Carl Demolder¹, Alicia Molina¹, Frank L Hammond 3rd², Woon-Hong Yeo³

Affiliations

¹ George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
² George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA. Electronic address: frank.hammond@me.gatech.edu.
³ George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Neural Engineering Center, Institute for Materials, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA. Electronic address: whyeo@gatech.edu.

PMID: 34171820
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113443

Abstract

Wearable sensing gloves and sensory feedback devices that record and enhance the sensations of the hand are used in healthcare, prosthetics, robotics, and virtual reality. Recent technological advancements in soft actuators, flexible bioelectronics, and wireless data acquisition systems have enabled the development of ergonomic, lightweight, and low-cost wearable devices. This review article includes the most up-to-date materials, sensors, actuators, and system-packaging technologies to develop wearable sensing gloves and sensory feedback devices. Furthermore, this review contemplates the use of wearable sensing gloves and sensory feedback devices together to advance their capabilities as assistive devices for people with prostheses and sensory impaired limbs. This review is divided into two sections: one detailing the technologies used to develop strain, pressure, and temperature sensors integrated with a multifunctional wearable sensing glove, and the other reviewing the devices and methods used for wearable sensory displays. We discuss the limitations of the current methods and technologies along with the future direction of the field. Overall, this paper presents an all-inclusive review of the technologies used to develop wearable sensing gloves and sensory feedback devices.

Keywords: Bioelectronics; Embedded sensor; Sensory feedback device; Wearable sensor glove.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Biosensing Techniques*
Delivery of Health Care
Feedback, Sensory
Humans
Prostheses and Implants
Virtual Reality*
Wearable Electronic Devices*