An alpha-prototype of the product is already available.
A Ukrainian team of inventors with the design firm GremTech is planning to introduce a new cybernetic glove with their original technology, “V-Touch.” A ready-to-market product will be presented this spring.
V-Touch is a technology that provides users with the fine motility of natural human hands, synthesizing mechanical responses with technology that provides connections to the parts of the brain that control motor activity. This glove permits untrained users to interact with objects through access to the virtual world. Simply put, “you can touch virtual objects and feel them like they are real, to feel their elasticity and texture,” according to the co-founder of the enterprise, Denis Pankrushev, in describing the product to AIN.UA.
This cybernetic glove can be used in a variety of ways, including the game industry, healthcare, education, and everyday life. Fans of computer games will be able to feel the actual sensations of interacting with virtual objects, and designers can interact with volumetric interfaces and operate 3D displays. In everyday life, this technology will allow users to operate home appliances and electronics with the wave of a hand.
But the main objective of the product is to allow an expert to work safely in an extreme environment without threat to life or health. With V-Touch, the developers promise that it will be possible to carry out remote manipulations as effectively as with direct contact.
The glove can also be used by physicians for diagnostics and for treatment of diseases involving infringement of fine motility and mobility in general, including paralysis, muscle atrophy, damage to or failure of the nervous system, and other impairments.
According to Mr Patrushev, the ideas leading to this technology have been ripening for years. ‘”I admire the functionality of hands. I wanted to simulate their exact functionality in virtual space. After sharing my idea with friends, we realized that the successful development of this idea would open new horizons for mankind, would allow the introduction of new systems of telepresence, and would provide a full immersion in virtual reality,” he said.
The team consists of the two founders, Mr. Pankrushev (WHO) and Svitlana Rissovannaja (СЕО), as well as technologist Oleksandr Chernega, engineer-programmer Vitaly Tolkachev and Administrative Director Olga Lesik. For specific tasks, the company hires external technical and medical experts.
Work on the project has been ongoing for about a year. Currently the project is financed by the founders. According to Svitlana Malevanna, the inventors have invested $30,000 so far.
An alpha-prototype of the glove is 80% done. The developers have already implemented the following functions:
- Tracking of position and orientation of a hand
- Recognition of gesticulation in commands
- Fine motility
- Force-feedback (feedback of tactile sensations)
The market price for this product will depend on the area of application and functionality. “We will announce more precise figures during our spring presentation. The preliminary price range is between $200 and $2000,” according to Svitlana.
The team is currently engaged in patenting the technology, researching the market and creating a business-plan. The presentation of the final version of the product is planned for the spring of this year.
Recently, Ukrainians have taken a great interest in inventions in the fields of health care and robotics. A 21 year old resident of Kyiv has created a robotized exoskeleton for his grandmother and has transformed it into a startup.
Another example of such an inventions is a “smart” cup that is capable of checking water quality.
