A Danish designer has produced a powered glove that allows the wearer to carve wood and stone using a thumb and two fingers.

The “Happaratus” glove was created by Morten Grønning Nielsen, a graduate of the Royal Collage of Art, who evolved the design from a prototype that used electric kitchen knives.



Abrasive pads are mounted on three tips of the glove’s fingers, which oscillate to carve away the material being worked on. Oscillation speeds can be changed depending on what is being abraded.

The latest iteration of the glove was created using sandpaper pads, but Nielsen suggests the tool can be made from stronger materials, such as tungsten carbide or ceramic steel, which would be able to dig deeper.



Specific tool tips could be created for sanding or surface work.



A sculptor called David Neat who used the glove for a month reported that the directness of the tool allowed for greater precision in his work.



Watch a video on the project here.



Read more on the Happaratus website.



Images via Happaratus