Patent ID: 8849453

Claim:
A grasp assist system comprising: a glove having: a digit, wherein the digit is one of a finger and a thumb; a force sensor positioned with respect to the glove and configured to measure a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove; a plurality of phalange rings positioned with respect to the digit; a flexible tendon connected at one end to one of the phalange rings and routed through the remaining phalange rings; an exoskeleton connected to the phalange rings, wherein the exoskeleton includes a plurality of hinged interconnecting members each connected to a corresponding one of the phalange rings; and an additional exoskeleton defined by a single piece of slotted material, wherein the slotted material defines slots, and each of the slots defines adjacent segments of the additional exoskeleton; an actuator assembly connected to another end of the tendon; and a controller in communication with the force sensor, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a tensile force in response to the measured grasping force, and to command the tensile force from the actuator assembly to pull on the tendon and thereby move the digit; wherein the exoskeleton and the additional exoskeleton offloads some of the tensile force from the operator's finger to the glove.