High-tech gloves help robots get touchy-feely

Sensor-filled gloves are a handy way of creating robots which are capable of more human actions, research shows.

The low-cost option was found to help boost the dexterity of robots, which developers say could help them get to grips with the requirements for remote surgery, virtual reality and carrying out tasks in space.

Developed by a team at the University of Edinburgh, the system uses sensor-equipped gloves which cost around £50 to make and capture a wealth of motion data from wearers.

That information could then be plugged into programmes directing a robot’s range of motion, it is suggested and provide greater accuracy than existing models.

Study leader Dr Yunjie Yang, of the university’s School of Engineering, said: “By using highly stretchable liquid metal electrodes, we can capture the continuous, fluid transition of a hand in motion. This high-fidelity gesture data is the missing link needed to teach robots not just how to hold an object, but how to manipulate it with human-like agility and grace.”

The capital team tested the design using six participants who were charged with performing 30 different hand gestures. The sensors detected these with an accuracy of more than 99 per cent, capturing factors like changes in the spacing between fingers.

Results were tested against a dataset produced through camera tracking and work is underway to further improve sensing capabilities using technology to replicate the sense of touch across the palm.

Supported by the European Research Council, the research was presented at one of the world’s largest robotics research conferences, the 2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference of Intelligent Robots and Systems in Hangzhou, China.

Yang’s team is now working with the university’s commercialisation service to take the development into the market.