(December 20, 2015) To
control machines remotely by the simple movement of a hand. It will be possible
in a natural and economical way thanks to Goldfinger, an innovative prototype
of human-machine interface designed and built in collaboration between the
Politecnico di Torino and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston
under the direction of Dr. Giorgio De Pasquale from the Department of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the Italian University.
The system was born to meet the needs, common to many
sectors, to simplify the user-machine communication of data and commands. In
this case, the interface has a glove-shape, fully wearable and comfortable, which
integrates all the electronic and mechanical components necessary for
operation. The sectors of which this application could address are manifold,
but primarily the industrial field (for the management of factory plants and
machines, for example in the case in which safety standards require special
management of work spaces), the medical field (for example, providing the
surgeon with an ergonomic controller which does not alter the normal movements
of the hand), and finally in the fields related to virtual reality (for the
simulation of work environments, for staff training, etc.).
The main point of innovation compared to other devices is
that Goldfinger has the ability to self-power. It generates electrical energy
by the movement of the fingers, which provides a much greater autonomy of
operation; furthermore, it is a model without electrical wires needed for a
power supply. The wireless transmission method and the integration of many
hi-tech components supported within the glove fabric (so the user does not
perceive their presence) constitute additional highly innovative elements of
this prototype. Among these components, for example, there are conductive wires
inserted into the fabric texture, piezoelectric transducers with high
flexibility and electrical switches made within the fabric itself rather than
with the traditional electronic components.