In an aim to improve muscle grip in our hands, an engineer from Scotland has designed a prototype robotic glove.

It is a piece of technology that will aid people with weaknesses in their hands to execute tasks such as driving and opening jars.

The glove has been designed by Ross O’Hanlon – an engineer from Edinburgh. He is a co-founder of BioLiberty which is a technology startup created by Ross and three other engineering graduates. This glove is the first product courtesy of the company.

According to an article on BBC News, it utilises a process called electromyography (EMT). This is where electrical activity is measured; activity having been created due to the stimulation of a nerve in the muscle. The glove then helps to apply the appropriate amount of pressure to complete the task via an algorithm, aiding the user to hold and grip the selected item.

After watching his aunt struggle to carry out everyday tasks due to her multiple sclerosis condition, Ross hopes that this glove will help her and many others.

“Being an engineer, I decided to use technology to tackle these challenges head on with the aim of helping people like my aunt to retain their autonomy. As well as those affected by illness, the population continues to age and this places increasing pressure on care services,” said Ross.

“We wanted to support independent living and healthy ageing by enabling individuals to live more comfortably in their own homes for longer.”

After creating a prototype of the glove, the team at BioLiberty have now gained support from Edinburgh Business School’s Incubator at Heriot-Watt University.

“We’re confident that support of this type will help accelerate the glove into homes more quickly,” said Ross.