Haptic Gloves
bendable pressure sensors to help doctors detect tumors by touch alone
Doctors might get even better at detecting tumors in breast cancer patients early, thanks to pressure-sensitive rubber gloves that supercharge their sense of touch. But the sensors that power those haptic gloves could be useful in all kinds of non-medical scenarios, too. Getting a regular exam from your doctor is still one of the most effective ways of catching the signs of breast cancer early, but it's easy to miss the telltale hardness of a tumor when a rubber surgical glove is involved. This new type of pressure sensor is thin and resilient enough to fit into a glove. In conjunction with the right software, these sensors could be used in standard surgical gloves to help doctors detect tumors by touch alone. But according to the team, this same technology has just as much potential for implantable and wearable devices.