Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta) have developed a vibrating glove that can improve the manual dexterity of the wearer. Among the potential applications of the technology is its use in delicate surgical applications. The gloves also could be used to treat patients who have numbed sensations in their hands.

The researchers have developed a prototype of the device, which works by applying a subtle vibration to the side of the fingertip to stimulate tactile receptors. Doing so was found to boost motor performance, according to the researchers.

Earlier research has demonstrated that the same technique can be used to enhance sight, hearing, and balance control. Up to this point, however, a wearable device has not yet been developed that makes use of the technology.

Known as a sensiromtor enhancer, the device was developed by Jun Ueda (pictured above on the right), an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech (Atlanta) with the assistance of Minoru Shinohara (pictured in the image on the left), a physiology professor and visiting scholar Yuichi Kurita.

The glove make use of an actuator composed of a stack of lead zirconate titanate layers, which vibrate.