One symptom of Parkinson ’s disease is involuntary manus tremors that make simple tasks like take robed or feed breakfast a daily battle . After being assigned to care for a Parkinson ’s patient role as a aesculapian student when he was 24 , Faii Ong was inspire to organize an modern novel treatment for the disease .
Ong’sGyroGloveuses some cagy physics borrowed from puerility toys to calm hand shudder in patient with the condition . “ Mechanical gyroscopes are like spinning tops : they always assay to stay just by economize angulate impulse , ” Ong , now 26 , explained toMIT Technology Review . “ My idea was to use gyroscopes to instantaneously and proportionally resist a person ’s hand movement , thereby dampening any tremors in the wearer ’s hand . ”
work with a team of fellow student from Imperial College London , Ong develop a prototype of the glove outfitted with a miniature , dynamically adjustable gyroscope on the back of the hired man . The effect it produce is similar to the whiz of moving your script through heavy molasses : movement is hamper without being prevented entirely . In former tests , the barrage fire - powered gyroscope was shown to reduce hand tremors by up to 90 percent .
alteration still take to be made to the engineering science before the GyroGlove is quick for commercial-grade product , but the team ’s mentor , Imperial College professor of musculoskeletal biodynamics Alison McGregor , toldMITTechnology Reviewthat the machine “ holds great promise and could have a meaning encroachment on users ’ tone of biography . ”
The twist has possible applications beyond Parkinson ’s treatment as well ; Ong say he could see the baseball mitt being used in professional playing field such as surgery or picture taking where a firm hand is essential . A precise cost and launch appointment for the ware have not yet been revealed , but the squad says they ’re aiming for a UK launch sometime before September at a monetary value between about $ 550 to $ 850 USD .
[ h / t : MIT Technology Review ]
