Abstract
Smart gloves have been under development during the last 40 years to support human-computer interaction based on hand and finger movement. Despite the many devoted efforts and the multiple advances in related areas, these devices have not become mainstream yet. Nevertheless, during recent years, new devices with improved features have appeared, being used for research purposes too. This paper provides a review of current commercial smart gloves focusing on three main capabilities: (i) hand and finger pose estimation and motion tracking, (ii) kinesthetic feedback, and (iii) tactile feedback. For the first capability, a detailed reference model of the hand and finger basic movements (known as degrees of freedom) is proposed. Based on the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews for the period 2015–2021, 24 commercial smart gloves have been identified, while many others have been discarded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria: currently active commercial and fully portable smart gloves providing some of the three main capabilities for the whole hand. The paper reviews the technologies involved, main applications and it discusses about the current state of development. Reference models to support end users and researchers comparing and selecting the most appropriate devices are identified as a key need.
Highlights
Over the recent years, virtual, augmented and mixed reality systems have evolved significantly yielding enriched immersive experiences.Current low-cost head mounted displays (HMDs), such as the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, provide high-fidelity 3D graphically-rendered environments that enable users to immerse in virtual experiences as never before
This paper introduces a sensor taxonomy for gloves distinguishing among bend sensors, stretch sensors and other types, such as inertial measurement units (IMUs) and magnetic sensors
The present survey of smart gloves is aligned with the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analysis [25]
Summary
Current low-cost head mounted displays (HMDs), such as the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, provide high-fidelity 3D graphically-rendered environments that enable users to immerse in virtual experiences as never before. These solutions are specially focused on the visual and auditory senses. For a more realistic experience, other senses should be considered, haptic feedback based on kinesthetic and tactile interactions [1]. Research has already shown that users feel more immersed in XR if they can touch and get feelings in the forms of haptic interaction [2]. Interaction based on active movements contributes to the “sense of agency”, that is, the sense of having “global motor control, including the subjective experience of action, intention, control, motor selection and the conscious experience of will” [3]
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