When: Thursday 7th of August, 1:00pm AEST
Where: This seminar will be partially presented at the ACFR seminar area, J04 lvl 2 (Rose St Building) and partially online via Zoom. RSVP
Speaker: Prof. Bilal Bahaa Zaidan Ajubouri
Title: Sensory Glove for Human-Robot Interface
Abstract:
This talk explores the journey of developing a novel sensory glove designed to accurately capture and translate human hand gestures into precise data for advanced human–robot interaction. The glove enables high-resolution mapping of hand movements, making it suitable for a range of applications including surgical robotics, gesture-based control, physical rehabilitation, virtual environments, and remote robotic operations in industrial and defence settings.
Unlike traditional designs that rely on flex or stretch sensors, often limited to detecting basic finger bending, this glove introduces a new class of flexible sensors built around a custom chip architecture, adapted from open-source inertial measurement units (IMUs). Each finger integrates three 9-axis IMUs, including one at the fingertip, totalling 135 axes across the glove. This dense sensor array allows the glove to capture subtle movements such as fingertip motion, finger abduction and adduction, and even inter-finger divergence with remarkable accuracy.
To ensure comfort and data integrity, only the sensing units are embedded on a flexible PCB. Data processing takes place on a separate main board located at the palm, keeping the design lightweight while maintaining high performance.
The development process spanned over two years, involving multiple prototype iterations and several rounds of custom PCB fabrication. The initial concept emerged from a PhD student’s early work under my supervision, where we tested various sensor configurations. Building on that foundation, the final glove was co-developed with an experienced engineer formerly from Intel. Although the work was conducted during academic positions in Malaysia and Taiwan, the project was independently initiated and carried forward without formal institutional ties.
The session will also address the technical challenges we encountered, especially those related to stabilizing sensors on flexible materials and capturing fine-grained motion reliably. A live video demonstration will be presented to showcase the glove’s current capabilities.
This talk offers an in-depth look at innovation in sensor design, the engineering trade-offs involved, and the broader potential of wearable technologies in shaping the future of human–robot interfaces.
Bio:
Bilal Bahaa Zaidan Aljubouri is an Associate Professor at the SP Jain School of Global Management in Sydney. He earned his PhD in Computer Engineering from Multimedia University in Malaysia, where he focused on applied decision theories. He also holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science with a specialization in Expert Systems from the University of Malaya and a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Computer Applications from Al-Nahrain University in Iraq.
With over 12 years of academic and research experience, Bilal has worked at respected institutions such as the University of Malaya, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Malaysia, and the National Yunlin University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. He also served as a research fellow at the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia and the National Child Development Research Centre.
His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, particularly Explainable AI, decision-making models, smart systems, human–robotic interaction, and wearable technology. He has authored more than 250 research publications, received over 19,000 citations, and holds an H-index of 82. He has supervised more than 35 postgraduate students, including 11 as the main supervisor, and has secured over AUD 5 million in research funding. His projects have been supported by organizations such as the National Child Development Research Centre, Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology, National Taiwan University Hospital, and the Worldwide Fund for Nature.
Several of his works have resulted in patents, and he has been recognized with multiple gold medals in international competitions.
He is currently involved in two promising initiatives in Australia. One focuses on using Generative AI to help medical institutions optimize emergency and ICU triage, aiming to reduce patient waiting times. The other involves developing an AI-powered smart tutoring system tailored for primary school students to enhance personalized learning.