ESA’s ‘Power Glove’ To Provide Astronauts With Gesture Controls On The Moon

The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled a prototype glove that could be used be used by astronauts on future space missions. Aside from offering protection against the vacuum of space, the gloves can also be used to remotely control rovers and other equipment using hand gestures.

The power glove was developed by designer Agatha Medioni and France-based tech firm Comex using raw materials from the ESA’s Pextex project, which is focused on creating new protective suits for space missions.

According to the ESA, the power glove was conceptualized as a practical component of spacesuits. Since the entire suit can be a bit cumbersome, the gloves were developed to offer astronauts more mobility in their hands. In addition, through the gloves, astronauts will be able to carry out different activities without moving too much.

As explained by the ESA, the primary function of the gloves is to protect astronauts from the vacuum of space. Aside from this, the gloves can also be used to control drones and rovers through specific hand gestures.

The power gloves also have an integrated laser light that astronauts can use to measure distances of target sites and objects. They are also equipped with a screen that displays important information regarding the suit such as the status of its oxygen levels.

Although traditional spacesuits also have this function, the display screens are located on the torso. In order to read the displayed information, astronauts have to use a mirror attached to their wrists.

According to the ESA, implementing innovative designs such as that of the power glove is the main objective of Pextex. Since space agencies are focused on establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon and Mars, astronauts need to be equipped with next-generation spacesuits that can be used for a long time.

These new suits should also be able to endure harsh space conditions for a long period of time and allow astronauts to move freely.

“Future missions will aim to establish a permanent presence on the Moon and new spacesuits would be used for longer and more frequently than those from the Apollo era,” the ESA stated.