Assistive Technologies

Researchers at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in collaboration with General Motors (GM) have designed and developed Robo-Glove, a wearable human grasp assist device, to help reduce the grasping force needed by an individual to operate tools for an extended time or when performing tasks having repetitive motion. Robo-Glove has the potential to help workers, such as construction workers, hazardous material workers, or assembly line operators, whose job requires continuous grasping and ungrasping motion. The Robo-Glove also has potential applications in prosthetic devices, rehabilitation aids, and people with impaired or limited arm and hand muscle strength. This NASA Technology is available for your company to license and develop into a commercial product. NASA does not manufacture products for commercial sale.

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) have created an enhanced second-generation, robotically assisted extravehicular activity (EVA) glove. The SSRG has been engineered to further decrease the exertion required to do complex, hand-intensive EVA tasks and reduce the risk of astronaut hand injury. Originating from its predecessors, the NASA/General Motors RoboGlove, and the later first-generation Space Suit RoboGlove, the SSRG realizes improved sensing, control, interface, and avionics capabilities. Among these improvements is the implementation of a power steering mode, which allows the user to position his/her fingers in an arbitrarily chosen position and receive assistance in holding that position. The SSRG retains the ability to operate like a conventional space suit glove while the actuators are unpowered. The design intent for the SSRG is to enhance a users ability to perform human scale work, with considerations for speed, power, durability, dexterity, and ease of operation.

NASA's Langley Research Center offers you an all-organic electroactive device system fabricated with single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT). The enhanced design offers higher electroactive performance in comparison with conventional electroactive device systems fabricated with metal electrodes or other conducting polymers. The new structure allows for significant improvement of the electroactive strain due to relief of the constraint on the electroactive layer. It exhibits superb actuation properties and can withstand high temperatures with improved mechanical integrity and chemical stability. In addition, the electroactive device can be made transparent, allowing for use in optical devices. NASA is seeking development partners and potential licensees.

Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed an educational device and method for creating letters, numbers, characters, symbols, or a combination, using shape memory alloy (SMA) wire. The device, which is a small, portable apparatus, goes through a prescribed heating sequence which will train the shape memory alloy wire to remember the shape set by the user (e.g. a star, heart, etc.). After the heating and cooling sequence of the device is complete, the user extracts the shape then can distort the trained shape memory alloy wire. Upon application of heat, the wire will transform back into the trained shape. The innovation contributes a method for advancing science education by providing a powerful hands-on teaching tool to demonstrate cutting-edge material and science capabilities. This simple and portable tool offers adaptive, interactive, customized, and individualized shape creation for students, hobbyists, artists, and others.