Method for controlling a grasp assist system

A method for controlling a grasp assist system having a glove configured to be worn on a hand and fingers of a user, the glove including glove fingers and a glove palm, the glove further including one or more contact sensors connected to at least one of the glove fingers, the method comprising:

• measuring, via a flexion sensor, a level of flexion of the hand and fingers of the user;
• detecting, via the one or more contact sensors, contact of the glove with an object during execution of a hand maneuver;
• commanding, via a controller responsive to the level of flexion measured, one or more tendon actuators to apply tension to one or more flexible tendons at a tension level sufficient for moving the glove fingers and the fingers of the user when the glove is worn by the user and the user executes the hand maneuver, the flexible tendons being operatively connected to the glove fingers via a plurality of flexible finger saddles each at least partially surrounding a phalange of a respective one of the fingers of the user when the glove is worn by the user;
• adjusting the tension to the one or more flexible tendons, via the one or more tendon actuators, in response to the contact;
• executing, via the controller, a first operating mode in which closure of the glove as a whole occurs in response to flexion of any one of the fingers of the user;
• and
• executing, via the controller, a second operating mode in which closure of a particular glove finger of the plurality of glove fingers occurs in response to detection of flexion of a finger of the user corresponding to the particular glove finger.