Published December 10, 2019 © CC BY-NC-SA

A Smart Glove Computer Mouse

This is a "Smart Glove" wearable computer mouse that can be used with any PC, Mac, or Linux computer.

IntermediateFull instructions provided1 hour4,796

Things used in this project

Hand tools and fabrication machines

3D Printer (generic)

Hot glue gun (generic)

Story

This is a "Smart Glove" computer mouse that can be used with any PC, Mac, or Linux computer. It's made using a Binho Nova multi-protocol USB host adapter, which lets you connect sensors and other components to your computer and then control them using code running on the computer (as opposed to programming a microcontroller).

With this Smart Glove, you can move the mouse cursor around, left click, or right click. Dragging isn't currently programmed, but the mouse control library does support that functionality if you want to add it. This can be adapted for a number of assistive mouse devices, such as a headband for those who don't have use of their hands.

Supplies:

To build this, you'll only need a few components. Those include:

You will also need access to a 3D printer to print the enclosure and flex sensor guides.

Step 1: 3D Print Your Parts

You'll start by 3D-printing the enclosure and flex sensor guides. Supports aren't necessary.

After the parts are printed, you can use a soldering iron to heat up the M3 inserts and then push them into place.

Step 2: Install Software and Libraries

Before you do anything else, you'll need to install Python 3. You can find an installer for your operating system on the Python website here: https://www.python.org/downloads/

You'll then install the libraries used by the Binho Nova. This is easy to do with Python's built-in package manager (Pip) through your terminal or Windows PowerShell. Full instructions are here: https://support.binho.io/getting-started/quickstar...

pip install binho-host-adapter

Finally, you need to install the PyAutoGUI library. This library lets you programmatically control your computer mouse with Python. PyAutoGUI can also be installed with Pip, and full instructions are here: https://pyautogui.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install...

pip install pyautogui

Step 3: Understanding the Python Script

The attached Python script contains all of the code you need for the Smart Glove. The only change you have to make is to the COM port. It's currently set to COM3, but you'll need to change it to match the COM port that your Binho Nova is registered to.

In Windows, you can find that information by going to your Device Manager (right click the Start icon in Windows 10) and looking under Ports.

You also may want to adjust the "clickThreshold" value if mouse clicks aren't occurring as expected. Increasing this value to something like 14000 will make the flex sensors more sensitive to clicks, while lowering it to something like 10000 will make them less sensitive (requiring you to move your finger further).

You can read through the comments in the code to get a better understanding of how it works, but in a nutshell:

Import the required libraries
Set the PyAutoGUI fail safe in case the mouse acts erratically
Define the COM port and set initial values
Get the Binho Nova ready for I2C communication
Initialize the connection to the accelerometer
Start looping. Every loop, check the values of the flex sensors and accelerometer. If appropriate, move the cursor or click the mouse.
Close the Binho connection. The code shouldn't actually reach this point unless it gets kicked out of the loop somehow

Step 4: Assemble Your Smart Glove

Assembly is very straightforward. The flex sensor board will connect to the accelerometer board with the short Qwiic cable. Then the accelerometer board will connect to the Binho Qwiic interface board with the long Qwiic cable. Finally, that interface board is attached to the Binho Nova's built-in cable. Now you can run the Python scrip to test that everything is working properly.

If it is, then place your components inside of the enclosure and secure the two halves together with short 10mm M3 screws. Both the flex sensor board and accelerometer board should be facing up! Now you can use some hot glue or fabric glue to attach the enclosure and the flex sensor guides to your glove. Make sure the screws are facing up, in case you need to open up the enclosure later. It's also best to mark the positions while you're wearing the glove in order to ensure that they're in a comfortable spot.

That's it! Now you've got a cool wearable computer mouse! You can, of course, do a lot more with the Binho Nova, this is just an example of how easy it is to work with I2C components like those in SparkFun's Qwiic lineup.

Code

Python Script

from binhoHostAdapter import binhoHostAdapter
from binhoHostAdapter import binhoUtilities
import time
import math
import pyautogui

pyautogui.FAILSAFE = True				# This will kill the script if the cursor touches a corner

def twos_comp(val, bits):
	"""compute the 2's complement of int value val"""
	if (val & (1 << (bits - 1))) != 0: # if sign bit is set e.g., 8bit: 128-255
		val = val - (1 << bits)        # compute negative value
	return val

#change this line to your com port number
binhoTesterCommPort = 'COM3'

# Tweak these to improve performance of Click detection
refreshInterval = 0.05
clickThreshold = 12000

enable_accel = True
enable_flex = True

# No Need to edit anything below here
finger1_isDepressed = False
finger2_isDepressed = False
finger1_clickFlag = False
finger2_clickFlag = False

finger1_maxValue = 0
finger1_minValue = 25000

finger2_maxValue = 0
finger2_minValue = 25000

addr_accel = 0x3A
binhoTester = binhoHostAdapter.binhoHostAdapter(binhoTesterCommPort)

print("SmartGlove V3 Script")

loop = True

# initialize the Binho host adapter for I2C communication
binhoTester.setNumericalBase('DEC')
binhoTester.setOperationMode(0, 'I2C')
binhoTester.setPullUpStateI2C(0, 'EN')
binhoTester.setClockI2C(0, 400000)

if enable_accel:

	# put accelerometer in standby
	binhoTester.startI2C(0, addr_accel)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x2A)
	binhoTester.endI2C(0)
	result = binhoTester.readBytesI2C(0, addr_accel, 1)
	resp = result.split(" ")
	ctrl_reg = int(resp[2]) & ~(0x01)

	binhoTester.startI2C(0, addr_accel)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x2A)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, ctrl_reg)
	binhoTester.endI2C(0)

	# set scale
	binhoTester.startI2C(0, addr_accel)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x0E)
	binhoTester.endI2C(0)
	result = binhoTester.readBytesI2C(0, addr_accel, 1)
	resp = result.split(" ")

	binhoTester.startI2C(0, addr_accel)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x0E)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x00)
	binhoTester.endI2C(0)

	#set datarate
	binhoTester.startI2C(0, addr_accel)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x2A)
	binhoTester.endI2C(0)
	result = binhoTester.readBytesI2C(0, addr_accel, 1)
	resp = result.split(" ")
	ctrl_reg = int(resp[2]) & 0xC7
	ctrl_reg |= (0x01 << 3)

	binhoTester.startI2C(0, addr_accel)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x2A)
	binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x01)
	binhoTester.endI2C(0)

while (loop == True):

	if enable_accel:
		# get values from accelerometer
		binhoTester.startI2C(0, addr_accel)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x01)
		binhoTester.endI2C(0)
		result = binhoTester.readBytesI2C(0, addr_accel, 7)
		resp = result.split(" ")
		x_value = (int(resp[3]) << 8 | int(resp[4]))
		y_value = (int(resp[5]) << 8 | int(resp[6]))
		z_value = (int(resp[7]) << 8 | int(resp[8]))

		x_signed = ((twos_comp(x_value, 16) >> 4))
		y_signed = ((twos_comp(y_value, 16) >> 4))
		z_signed = ((twos_comp(z_value, 16) >> 4))

		x_gs = x_signed / 1024
		y_gs = y_signed / 1024
		z_gs = z_signed / 1024

		mag = math.sqrt(x_gs**2 + y_gs**2 + z_gs**2)

		#print('raw accel: [' + str(x_signed) + ', ' + str(y_signed) + ', ' + str(z_signed) +']')
		#print('Gravity Vector: [' + str(x_gs) + 'g, ' + str(y_gs) + 'g, ' + str(z_gs) +'g]')
		#print('Mag: ' + str(mag) + 'g')


		# Move the cursor, scaled exponentially to tilt angle
		if y_gs > 0.1:
			x_speed = -400 * (y_gs**2)
		elif y_gs < -0.1:
			x_speed = 400 * (y_gs**2)
		else:
			x_speed = 0

		if x_gs > 0.1:
			y_speed = -400 * (x_gs**2)
		elif x_gs < -0.1:
			y_speed = 400 * (x_gs**2)
		else:
			y_speed = 0

		pyautogui.moveRel(x_speed, y_speed, duration=0.1)

	if enable_flex:
		# read finger0 analog
		binhoTester.startI2C(0, 0x90)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x01)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0xC0)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x80)
		binhoTester.endI2C(0)

		binhoTester.startI2C(0, 0x90)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x00)
		binhoTester.endI2C(0)

		result = binhoTester.readBytesI2C(0, 0x90, 2)

		resp = result.split(" ")

		finger1 = int(int(resp[2]) << 8 | int(resp[3]))

		if finger1 < finger1_minValue:
			finger1_minValue = finger1
		elif finger1 > finger1_maxValue:
			finger1_maxValue = finger1

		if finger1_isDepressed:
			if finger1 > clickThreshold:
				finger1_isDepressed = False
				finger1_clickFlag = True
		else:
			if finger1 < clickThreshold:
				finger1_isDepressed = True

		if finger1_clickFlag:
			finger1_clickFlag = False
			#print('finger1: [currVal:' + str(finger1) + ', min:' + str(finger1_minValue) + ', max:' + str(finger1_maxValue)	+'] CLICK!')
			pyautogui.click(button='right') # right click mouse
		else:
			#print('finger1: [currVal:' + str(finger1) + ', min:' + str(finger1_minValue) + ', max:' + str(finger1_maxValue)	+']')
			pass

		binhoTester.startI2C(0, 0x90)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x01)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0xD0)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x80)
		binhoTester.endI2C(0)

		binhoTester.startI2C(0, 0x90)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x00)
		binhoTester.endI2C(0)

		binhoTester.startI2C(0, 0x90)
		binhoTester.writeByteI2C(0, 0x00)
		binhoTester.endI2C(0)

		result = binhoTester.readBytesI2C(0, 0x90, 2)
		resp = result.split(" ")

		finger2 = int(int(resp[2]) << 8 | int(resp[3]))

		if finger2 < finger2_minValue:
			finger2_minValue = finger2
		elif finger2 > finger2_maxValue:
			finger2_maxValue = finger2

		if finger2_isDepressed:
			if finger2 > clickThreshold:
				finger2_isDepressed = False
				finger2_clickFlag = True
		else:
			if finger2 < clickThreshold:
				finger2_isDepressed = True

		if finger2_clickFlag:
			finger2_clickFlag = False
			#print('finger2: [currVal:' + str(finger2) + ', min:' + str(finger2_minValue) + ', max:' + str(finger2_maxValue)	+'] CLICK!')
			pyautogui.click(button='left') # left click mouse
		else:
			#print('finger2: [currVal:' + str(finger2) + ', min:' + str(finger2_minValue) + ', max:' + str(finger2_maxValue)	+']')
			pass

	time.sleep(refreshInterval)

# close the connection to the Binho host adapter
binhoTester.close()

Credits

Cameron Coward

17 projects • 1398 followers

Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist. Check out my YouTube channel: Serial Hobbyism

A Smart Glove Computer Mouse

Things used in this project

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

Supplies:

Step 1: 3D Print Your Parts

BinhoBody1.stl

BinhoBody2.stl

FingerMount.stl

Step 2: Install Software and Libraries

Step 3: Understanding the Python Script

smartGlove_v3.py

Step 4: Assemble Your Smart Glove

Custom parts and enclosures

BinhoBody1.stl

BinhoBody2.stl

FingerMount.stl

Code

Python Script

Credits

Cameron Coward

Comments

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A Smart Glove Computer Mouse

A Smart Glove Computer Mouse

Things used in this project

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Story

Supplies:

Step 1: 3D Print Your Parts

BinhoBody1.stl

BinhoBody2.stl

FingerMount.stl

Step 2: Install Software and Libraries

Step 3: Understanding the Python Script

smartGlove_v3.py

Step 4: Assemble Your Smart Glove

Custom parts and enclosures

BinhoBody1.stl

BinhoBody2.stl

FingerMount.stl

Code

Python Script

Credits

Cameron Coward

Comments

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