Magnetorheological Fluid Brake for a Force Feedback Glove for Virtual Environments

The research and development of a Magnetorheological (MR) fluid brake for use in a force feedback glove is presented. The glove is a haptic interface for a virtual reality (VR) environment. The glove implements the MR fluid brakes to restrict motion of the VR user’s fingers. It is controlled by an input current and produces a corresponding output torque. The torque of the MR fluid brake is equivalent to the continuous torque exerted by a typical human index finger. Two sizes of brakes were developed to control the joints of the thumb, index, and middle fingers. The paper presents background and design details of implementing the MR fluid. The prototype designs of the MR fluid brakes are then introduced. Test procedures and results of the braking torque and response time are presented. Lastly, the implementation of the brakes into a force feedback glove is briefly discussed. Test results show that the MR fluid brake is capable of restricting the motion of a human finger.