Vibrotac-Glove: Designing a Novel Haptic Glove as an Assistive Device

This paper introduces the design, development, and evaluation of a haptic electronic glove as an assistive device for people with deaf-blindness. The glove incorporates haptic electronic yarns into knitted textile channels, offering enhanced durability and functionality while enabling vibrotactile communication on the dorsal side of the fingers' proximal phalanges. A control system provides diverse feedback patterns, and wireless smartphone integration supports real-time interaction. Experimental trials with ten participants demonstrated the glove's ability to convey haptic cues effectively, achieving recognition rates of up to 80% by optimizing time intervals (125- 2000 ms) and pulse widths (10- 60 ms). The index and ring fingers showed superior accuracy in distinguishing haptic pulses. A sustainability analysis evaluated the glove's environmental impact, suggesting improvements to increase durability and reduce waste. Overall, the study validates the glove's feasibility as a daily assistive tool, enhancing communication and quality of life for people with sensory impairments.