Scottish company Bio Liberty has created a robotic, artificial intelligence glove that helps people restore strength in their hand muscles. The company designed the smart glove for people who suffer from weakness in the hand, due to aging or diseases such as motor nerve disease and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The glove works by detecting the user’s intention to grasp an object, using electromyography (EMT) to measure the electrical activity produced by nerve stimulation to a muscle. Then an algorithm converts the intent into action to help the wearer strengthen his grip. Gloves can assist users with a wide range of daily tasks, from driving a car to opening the lids of stubborn jars.

Bio Liberty co-founder Ross Hanlon said the idea came to him when his aunt, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, began having difficulties with simple tasks such as drinking water. He added, “As an engineer, I decided to use technology to meet these challenges and help people with a problem similar to my aunt’s problem to rely on themselves.”

The company has already developed a working prototype for the glove, and the team now plans to enlist support from Edinburgh Business School to produce the gloves on a large scale.