Imagine a regular-looking glove that quietly adds extra grip strength to your hand — like power steering, but for your fingers. Bioservo built a wearable soft robotic glove weighing under 70 grams that workers can use all day (8-16 hours on a single charge) to avoid hand strain injuries, or that patients can wear at home to recover from hand problems. The first version already sold €1M worth of units. The second generation — iHand — is designed as a modular platform so it can be adapted for different markets: factory floors, sports, and medical rehab.
Hand injuries from repetitive manual work cost employers billions annually in workers' compensation, sick leave, and lost productivity. Current solutions — bulky exoskeletons or stationary rehabilitation robots — are too expensive, too heavy, or require specialized facilities. Workers and patients need something they can actually wear all day at work or use at home without supervision.
A second-generation soft robotic glove (iHand) optimized for volume production, with three optimized device versions and an upgrade platform tailored for EU, Japan, and US markets. The modular platform supports three use cases: workplace assist, rehabilitation, and injury prevention.
If you are a manufacturing or logistics company dealing with repetitive strain injuries and lost workdays from hand problems — this project developed a soft robotic glove weighing under 70g that workers can wear for 8-16 hours per shift. At production cost below €180 per unit at volumes above 500 units, it is far cheaper than workers' compensation claims and sick leave costs.
If you are a rehab clinic or home care provider struggling with expensive stationary rehabilitation robots that patients can only use on-site — this project built a portable glove (total system under 400g) that patients use at home for hand recovery. Bioservo already partnered with Hocoma (rehabilitation systems) and OttoBock (orthopaedic devices) to bring this to clinical settings.
If you are an automotive or aerospace manufacturer where workers perform repetitive gripping tasks on assembly lines — this project created a wearable assist glove already validated with partners like GM, Airbus, and GE. The device adds extra grip strength while keeping the look and feel of a regular glove, meaning workers can perform precision tasks without bulky exoskeletons.
The first-generation SEM glove sold at an average price of €4,100 per unit. The second-generation iHand is optimized for volume production with a target production cost below €180 per unit at volumes above 500-1000 units, which should significantly lower the end-user price.
Yes. The iHand is specifically designed as a modular platform optimized for volume production. The production cost target of below €180 at 500-1000+ units indicates readiness for large-scale deployment. Bioservo projected €53M in revenue and 178 new jobs by 2024.
Bioservo Technologies AB, a Swedish SME, owns the technology. They are the sole consortium partner. They already have commercial distribution agreements with OttoBock and Hocoma, and collaboration agreements with GM, NASA, GE, Airbus, and Eiffage.
The high-performance batteries provide 8-16 hours of operation without recharge, covering a full work shift. The total system weight including batteries stays under 400 grams.
The project conducted user trials in three concrete scenarios: assist (workplace support), rehab (recovery), and prevent (injury prevention). The first-generation glove already generated €1M in sales in 2016, confirming real-world demand and usability.
Deliverables include an upgrade platform for the EU, Japan, and US markets. Bioservo has endorsements from the Swedish Employment Service, Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, and Finnish Health Authority, indicating regulatory progress across multiple regions.
This is a single-company project by Bioservo Technologies AB, a Swedish SME — typical for the SME Instrument Phase 2 funding scheme, which backs companies ready to scale. While there are no academic or research institute partners in the consortium, Bioservo compensates with an impressive roster of commercial partners: OttoBock (world leader in orthopaedic devices), Hocoma (rehabilitation robotics), and collaboration agreements with GM, NASA, GE, Airbus, and Eiffage. Government endorsements from Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish authorities add regulatory credibility. The 100% industry composition signals this is a commercialization-stage venture, not a research project.
Bioservo Technologies AB is a publicly listed Swedish company — contact details available through their corporate website and investor relations.
Want to explore integrating soft robotic gloves into your workplace safety program or rehabilitation offering? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the Bioservo team.
