{"id":3591,"date":"2017-06-06T14:44:53","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T14:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=1970"},"modified":"2018-05-22T16:31:25","modified_gmt":"2018-05-22T16:31:25","slug":"vr-glove-3d-printing060620174","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/vr-glove-3d-printing060620174\/","title":{"rendered":"UC San Diego creates VR glove using 3D printing"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about researchers at the University of San Diego who have\u00a0created a robot using 3D printing<\/a> that can\u00a0walk on different types of terrains. This week, UC San Diego is back in the news again with their Jacobs School of Engineering who has\u00a0been working on a soft robotics project that incorporates virtual reality (VR) with a lightweight glove that was created using 3D printing technology.<\/p>\n

Typical VR devices use \u201cremote-like devices\u201d that make your VR experience not very realistic. Jurgen Schulze, a researcher at the Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego explained, \u201cYou can\u2019t touch anything, or feel resistance when you\u2019re pushing a button. By contrast, we are trying to make the user feel like they\u2019re in the actual environment from a tactical point of view.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A demonstration of the VR robotic glove at UC San Diego. Photo\/\/ jsoe on Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Thanks to the researchers on this project, they have created a new VR experience that uses a special type of controller to help make your experience more natural and realistic. This special controller consists of a glove that was created using a \u201cMckibben muscle\u201d, which is made up of \u201cbraided fibers\u201d that respond like a spring when force is applied to them. To create their prototype, the researchers 3D printed a mold to create the soft exoskeleton of the glove and incorporated Velcro straps that are embedded at the joints. Thanks to this exoskeleton, the device is easier to create and can be mass-produced.<\/p>

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\u201cOur final goal is to create a device that provides a richer experience in VR,\u201d explained Tolley, a faculty member in the Contextual Robotics Institute at UC San Diego. \u201cBut you could imagine it being used for surgery and video games, among other applications.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The exoskeleton was created using 3D printing<\/p><\/div>\n

While this is still a prototype, it is still exciting to see what\u2019s in store for the future of 3D printing and VR. Be sure to check back with us to see what other innovations are made at UC San Diego.<\/p>\n

Check out the VR glove in action below:<\/p>\n