From: S A Bensalem Subject: Re: TECH: VPL patent on optical glove >[If someone has an electronic version of the glove patents, feel free >to post them to sci.virtual-worlds.] Hi, Here are abstracts from some patents. US Patent 3,022,878 Patented Feb. 27, 1962 'Communication device' Robert Seibel, Putnam Valley, Nathaniel Rochester IBM A further object of this invention is to provide a keyboard into which the hand is inserted, much as the hand is inserted into a glove. Such a keyboard is adaptable to being fitted into a glove. This is most probably the first exoskeleton system US Patent 4,414,537 Patented Nov. 8, 1983 'Digital data entry glove Gary J.Grimes, Bell Telephone Lab. Inc interface device' A man-machine interface is disclosed for translating discrete hand positions into electrical signals representing alpha-numeric characters US Patent 4,542,291 Patented Sep. 17, 1985 'Optical flex sensor' Thomas G. Zimmerman. VPL Research Inc. The instant invention relate generally to position detectors and more specifically it relates to an optical flex sensor that produces an output signal in response to bending A further object is to provide an optical flex sensor that uses inexpensive common materials and is assembled either by hand or with simple tools. (Apparently $10,000 is the price of the simple tools ??) US Patent 4,988,981 Patented Jan. 29, 1991 'Computer data entry and Thomas G.Zimmerman, Jaron Z.Lanier manipulation apparatus and VPL Research Inc. methods' Apparatus is disclosed for generating control signals for the manipulation of virtual objects in a computer system according to the gesture and position of an operator's hand or other body part. The apparatus includes a glove worn on the hand which includes sensors for detecting the gestures of the hand, as well as hand position sensing means coupled to the glove and to the computer system for detecting the position of the hand with respect to the system. Hope they're usefull. Cheers, Ben.