Haptic Glove for VR Teleoperation
c++ foc bldc kicad stm32 teensy robotics pcb-design
Overview
My M.Sc. thesis project at VISUS, Universität Stuttgart (supervisor: Michael Pabst). The goal is a wearable haptic glove that can simultaneously track finger joint positions and render kinaesthetic forces for VR teleoperation.
Mechanism
The glove is tendon-driven — small gimbal BLDC motors (2208 80KV) route tendons along the finger segments. This keeps the actuators lightweight and allows precise force rendering without heavy exoskeleton structures on the hand.
Electronics & Firmware
- MCU: Teensy 4.0 for real-time FOC loop
- Motor drivers: SimpleFOCMini boards per motor
- Position sensing: AS5600 magnetic encoders on each joint
- Control: FOC impedance control — the same loop handles both position tracking and force feedback
Custom PCB
A custom STM32G474-based PCB is in design (KiCad), integrating all driver channels, power regulation, and communication interfaces onto a single compact board.
Status
Active — thesis ongoing (2026).