High-Tech Space Gloves Win NASA's Astronaut Glove Challenge

Two teams claimed $250,000 and $100,000 prizes for besting NASA's current top glove design

By Jeremy Hsu Posted 11.20.2009 at 11:59 am 2 Comments

Astronaut Glove, First Place Peter Homer demonstrates his first-place astronaut glove for a better NASA future NASA

Glove designers walked away with a total of $400,000 in prize money at NASA's second Astronaut Glove Challenge yesterday. The U.S. space agency awarded the money because the private glove designs beat the in-house version, and NASA may incorporate the designs into the Constellation spacesuit intended for next-gen astronauts returning to the moon.

Peter Homer of Maine took the first place prize of $250,000, based on a souped-up version of his glove design that won the 2007 challenge. Ted Southern of New York City won the second place prize of $100,000.

Astronaut Glove, Second Place: Second place winner Ted Southern watches his glove during the burst test. NASA

Both winners had to use their gloves within a sealed testing environment, and perform half an hour of exercises such as pinching, gripping, and other finger-flexing tests. Judges scored the results during the live tests at the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, Florida, Technology Review reports.

Each glove also passed a burst test inside the water-filled box. Homer's glove managed to reach a max of 20 psi, and Southern's glove successfully resisted 17 psi.

The Astronaut Glove Challenge comes as part of NASA's Centennial Challenges, which include the space elevator games and a competition for lunar robot diggers.

[NASA]

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2 Comments

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goheenis24

11/22/09 at 3:59 pm

Why are we not using gloves that use robotics? like I move my finger sensors translate movement into commands and the robotic glove moves its finger? what would this mean? Smaller more precise hand/finger capability, possibility of satellite link from the ship or earth.

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Azorus

11/23/09 at 5:45 am

honestly you would think nasa would have better things to spend 400,000$ on.