Glove Characteristics Influencing Control Manipulability

Abstract

Both objective measurements and subjective ratings were made of the degree to which each of 18 widely differing gloves possessed each of the following characteristics: tenacity (i.e., resistance to sliding over a grasped surface), snugness of fit, suppleness, and protection against injury to the enclosed hand. Twenty-two subjects performed each of five different control operations while wearing each of the 18 gloves and while barehanded. For both objective and subjective measurement of the characteristics, it was found that degree of tenacity is correlated with speed of gloved operation of on-off controls, that amount of suppleness is correlated with rapidity of gloved operation of adjustable controls, and that increasing snugness of fit improves operation time for both types of control. The difference between operation times, gloved and barehanded, was found to depend strongly on the type of control operation required.