Wearable robotics · SCUT

Climbing-Assisted
Hand Exoskeleton

Pressure sensing, active finger assistance, and passive mechanical locking.

Project period: Feb 2025 – Jun 2025
Team project · Control software, sensing-glove integration & fabrication

30 s · Controlled climbing-rig demonstration. Muted preview; original sound available in the controls. Open clip

Prototype demonstration

From contact sensing
to a held grip.

Fourteen thin-film pressure sensors monitor hand contact. An Arduino controller coordinates finger actuation with a passive ratchet that holds the locked pose.

A research prototype evaluated on a laboratory rig.

My Contribution

01

Control & integration

Developed the Arduino control software and led project coordination and system integration.

02

Pressure-sensing glove

Supported construction of the sensing glove and integrated its contact signals into the prototype.

03

Build & test

Contributed to fabrication, assembly, and experimental testing of the wearable mechanism.

How it works

Pressure inputs, threshold decision, right-hand locking or release, and the physical servo/linkage system.
Implemented contact-threshold control and prototype hardware. Click to enlarge.
  1. 01Sense contact

    14 RP-L-110 pressure sensors; 100 Hz loop.

  2. 02Decide the state

    Evaluate contact before permitting release.

  3. 03Move the fingers

    HX08L servo and spatial four-bar linkage.

  4. 04Hold the pose

    Cable-operated passive ratchet locking.

  • Sensing and control. Pressure signals from both hands are evaluated at 100 Hz. The controller permits a hand to enter transparent mode when the measured contact state supports a safe release; otherwise, it maintains the active hand in its locked state.
  • Actuation and locking. The HX08L servo drives a spatial four-bar linkage that follows the finger's extension-to-flexion motion. A cable-operated, bidirectional ratchet provides passive mechanical locking and is designed to retain the locked pose during power loss.
  • Electronics and power. An Arduino Uno runs the control logic and communicates with the serial servo through a dedicated UART driver. A single 7.4 V, 2200 mAh two-cell battery pack supplies the servo and the regulated control electronics.
  • Mechanical integration. PLA-printed linkage components are reinforced with aluminium ratchet wheels, brass standoffs, and metal joint hardware. The hand-mounted module weighed 448.7 g, and the complete wearable system excluding the battery remained below 1.5 kg.

Prototype photographs & mechanical drawings

CAD rendering of the hand exoskeleton with linkage and ratchet mechanisms Prototype components with an Arduino Uno, linkages, ratchets, and control electronics on a workbench Assembled hand exoskeleton worn on a hand beside an Arduino Uno Assembled exoskeleton gripping a bottle neck during a prototype test Close-up of the dual-finger linkage and ratchet mechanisms on the glove prototype SolidWorks top view of the complete hand-exoskeleton assembly SolidWorks multiview drawing of the hand-exoskeleton assembly

What we measured

0.18 sLock time measured in 60 fps footage.
16 N10 s static load on a 25 mm-diameter bar.
50 cyclesAt least 90% of the extension-to-flexion range.
  • Lock time. The mechanism reached the fully latched state in 0.18 s in 60 fps footage.
  • Repeated actuation. The fingers completed at least 90% of the full extension-to-flexion range across 50 cycles.
  • Static holding test. The grasp showed no measurable slip while holding a 16 N load on a 25 mm-diameter bar for 10 s.
  • Inclined-rig trials. Two-minute trials on a 75° climbing rig produced more than 90% successful grasp transitions. The passive ratchet remained engaged during a deliberate single-hand release test.

Prototype scope

This research prototype was evaluated on a controlled climbing rig. The tests characterize its locking response, repeated actuation, static holding behavior, and grasp transitions under the reported laboratory conditions; the device has not been certified as personal protective equipment.

Future development will investigate higher-frequency embedded control, richer contact and joint-state sensing, lighter structural materials, and more extensive endurance and safety evaluation.