The history of the tactile glove

Charting the evolution of an ergonomic sensing devicE

The inside of TactileGloves is a complex system of sensing elements, electronics and wiring, that went through years of development and refinement

Imagine if we could measure touch the way a camera captures light or a microphone records sound. At PPS, the solution was to create the TactileGlove. Packed with capacitive sensors, this device turns human touch into measurable data. Here, Gordon Dobie, Director, and Charles MacLeod, Technical Consulting Engineer at tactile sensing technology specialist PPS, delve deeper into the glove’s evolution, explore its real-world applications, and look to the potential of the next generation.

Since its initial release in 2015, the glove has been through several refinements. What began as a relatively fragile instrument with limited sensors has evolved into a robust ergonomic device now used across industry, healthcare and sport. Its full potential has not yet been realised.