Redesigning a Haptic Glove for New Features and Improved Assembly

Master thesis (2023)

Authors

A.J. de Vries Industrial Design Engineering

Contributors

A.L.M. Minnoye Emerging Materials - IDE (mentor)
E.W. Thomassen Emerging Materials - IDE (graduation committee member)
Faculty
Industrial Design Engineering, Industrial Design Engineering
Copyright: © 2023 Joris de Vries
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Published Date

13-02-2023

Language

English

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Abstract

This report describes the development of a redesigned haptic glove for SenseGlove, a Delft-based startup specializing in haptic technologies for use in Virtual Reality. Their Nova product line offers force feedback, haptics, and finger tracking to increase immersion in VR and provide intuitive interaction with virtual objects for training purposes. Driven by a desire to implement new features, communicate a new branding direction and increase production rates while maintaining quality, SenseGlove requested a full redesign of Nova’s enclosure with a focus on improving assembly time.

An analysis of Nova’s original assembly process and design was conducted and showed several areas in which it could be improved. Then, three focus points were defined based on principles from Poka Yoke and DFA:

Focus point 1:
Minimize the number of parts needed for subassemblies within the scope of this project.

Focus point 2:
Improve the logic of the assembly steps and make them as self-explanatory as possible.

Focus point 3:
Reduce the loss of progress that can occur from human error during assembly.

Guided by the focus points, a three-phase design process was completed in which Nova was divided into several subproblems that were individually solved, then combined into a configuration model, before finally being integrated with a new aesthetic direction that was co-developed with SenseGlove to create a Nova 2.0 concept with a new assembly process. A proposal for CMF was also provided, along with an evaluation based on assembly, aesthetics reception, manufacturability, and costs.

The Nova 2.0 concept is estimated to take approximately 53% of the original time to assemble, while eliminating the need for several assembly stations and enabling nondestructive disassembly. The new aesthetic direction fits well among other VR devices often used together with Nova but requires some refinement to meet all visual goals set by SenseGlove. The model provided in this report is not yet completely manufacturable, but with minor adjustments and implementation of recommendations should be ready for production. The new production cost is expected to be higher than the original Nova due to the implementation of new features and a redesigned PCBA, though the exact price cannot be determined as some features were beyond the scope of this project.

The Nova 2.0 concept reaches the goals set at the start of this project and SenseGlove is recommended to further develop it but is advised to keep the three focus points in mind when making changes, as design for assembly needs to be applied in all stages of development to bring maximum benefits and reduce the risk of facing issues in the future.