Get a grip: GM built a force-multiplying robotic glove, and I got to try it out - Roadshow

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What's this, a Roadshow story that's not about a car? Well, this neat piece of engineering could improve the lives of those working on the auto industry's backend. Besides, if you get a chance to wear something called a RoboGlove, you should grab the opportunity with both hands.

The RoboGlove comes from General Motors and NASA. The companies worked together to launch a humanoid robot into space back in 2011, producing the Robonaut 2. The Robonaut 2's hands, which have evolved into the RoboGlove, worked a lot like a human's, with artificial "tendons" contracting its digits. I've actually shook hands with this robot, and although I was maybe slightly worried that it would crush my hand, it applied the correct amount of force for a decent handshake.

This technology has now been miniaturized and translated into a wearable for humans: the RoboGlove. A battery pack with microcontrollers and actuators clips to the wearer's belt. That's coected to a forearm sheath that contains the system that controls the "tendons," which run up and into the glove itself. Sensors on the fingertips can sense when gripping force is required, and that's when RoboGlove springs into action.

To aid in gripping, the artificial tendons retract into the glove, forcing it to grip. It can then hold that grip without straining the user's hand. The tendons can only be pulled, so when it's time to loosen your grip, just open your hand as usual.

I had a go with the RoboGlove and was impressed by its gripping power. It's a strange feeling, being able to hold onto something without constantly working muscles.

And that's the goal of the glove -- to reduce body strain during repetitive motions. If you're working on an assembly line, grabbing items all day, it's easy to see how the glove can reduce strain. Plus, you're wearing something called a RoboGlove, which, in my nerdy opinion, is pretty sweet.

The underlying tech can go beyond the assembly line -- it could be used to help in physical therapy, as well. In fact, GM is licensing its technology to BioServo, which will combine its own tech with RoboGlove to create a product that it can sell to a variety of industries. GM's already put the glove to work in one of its plants, and it plans to expand that use in the future.

You can see an earlier version of the RoboGlove in action in the below video. It isn't as cool as the newer, blue model, but you'll get an idea of what the RoboGlove can do.