Molano releases open-source TAKTO hand-tracking glove
TAKTO uses magnetic encoders to track hand and finger position, and comes in a sensing-only version and an actuated version with finger feedback.
Sebastian Molano has released TAKTO, an open-source hand-tracking device that uses magnetic encoders to determine the position of the device and of the fingers, according to hackaday.com. Project information is published on TAKTO.one, and the build instructions are available on the project's GitHub.
TAKTO ships in two configurations: an actuated version and a sensing-only version for hand tracking. The actuated version adds actuators that pull on the fingers to provide feedback, and those actuators account for most of that version's cost.
Assembly documentation with visual guides is available on TAKTO.one. The site also hosts a digital twin of the live device, which shows a visual of the glove being used alongside status information.
Molano first presented TAKTO as his thesis project.
Why encoders instead of cameras
Camera-based hand tracking is common but struggles when fingers are covered, intertwined, or outside the headset camera's view. Feedback methods for the user's hands are also uncommon in existing hand-tracking systems.
Valve has publicly released information on implementing usability into existing VR hardware.
Quick answers
What is TAKTO?
TAKTO is an open-source hand-tracking device by Sebastian Molano that uses magnetic encoders to determine device and finger position.
Where can I find the build instructions?
Assembly documentation with visual guides is on TAKTO.one, and build instructions are on the project's GitHub.
Is there a version without actuators?
Yes. TAKTO comes in an actuated version and a sensing-only version for hand tracking.