From: Chris Hand <cph@dmu.ac.uk>
Subject: TECH: Future of Gloves
Organization: De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

Robert Jacobson (cyberoid@stein1.u.washington.edu) wrote:
: More important than who built the last generation of gloves is
: (1) whether there should be a next generation of gloves and
: (2) if so, who is working on them and what can they do better?

Some random thoughts (I just got out of bed...).

* Once you've found the bend-sensor, gloves aren't difficult
  (obviously you can leave off the tracker, the user can add their
  own)

* There is a demand for a very cheap glove.  Supposedly there was to
  be a VPL/AGE "low-cost" glove (I remember the announcements), but it
  never did appear.

* Since VPL have a patent on something as simple as actually using a
  a glove for input with a graphical hand on the screen, I should
  think many companies might be deterred by legal considerations (for
  ref. it's US Patent 4,988,981 "Computer data entry and manipulation
  apparatus and method" Jan 29, 1991.  Thomas G. Zimmerman and
  Jaron Z. Lanier.  To look at it, this is almost describing a
  PowerGlove!).

* In terms of operation, I would say that adduction/abduction of
  fingers is not really necessary (unless performing biomechanical
  analysis).  Measuring the full degrees of freedom of the thumb is
  probably more important.

* As a selection/manipulation device, gloves are mostly Novelty.
  Using one for an extended period is tiring and inaccurate.  Other
  devices are probably more appropriate much of the time.

* As a device for use by many people, gloves are not pleasant (lots of
  crusty stuff building up inside there).  Applications that actually
  require hand-based input might go towards "unencumbering" hand
  tracking technology (eg. video tracking), especially as video is
  going to move very fast in the next few years.

* In response to qn (2) above, well there's the TCAS glove which uses
  conductive neoprene sensors, although whether that's a
  vapour-product or not remains to be demonstrated.

Disclaimer: I'm not necessarily the world authority on gloves,
            but "Hand" is my real name.... ;-)

Chris
-- 
Chris Hand, Lecturer                Internet mail: cph@dmu.ac.uk
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