This temperature sensing glove was developed as a functional prototype for our design research with Samsung. We were exploring how wearables in the future will enhance human sense, giving users “superpowers”.

This glove was built using an arduino lilipad, flexible copper paper, and a laser printer. Using an insoluble ink, we printed the appropriate circuit onto the copper. By soaking the copper in acid before cleaning off the ink, we were left with our flexible circuit.

We attached vibration motors to the underside of the glove. These motors allowed the user to “feel” the temperature input from the infrared thermometer positioned at the tip of the index finger. This could be used for professionals that work in extreme conditions like firefighters.

Basing our work off of Dr. Eagleman’s vibrating vest, we wanted to test if a user could “sense” the temperature through vibrational patterns pulsing across their finger tips. As the temperature changed, so would the vibration.

By allowing our users to try the glove on and feel the feedback, they were able to place themselves in our future. Even if the temperature glove wasn’t always practical, they were able to provide insights on other “senses” they could imagine.