University student creates groundbreaking virtual reality glove with transformative potential across multiple industries

Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025

A university student has developed a cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) glove with the potential to revolutionise sectors ranging from healthcare and manufacturing to professional training and gaming.

Sitthichai Wilet, 25, who recently completed his Masters degree in Software Engineering at Wrexham University, has devoted the past three years to development of the glove. As part of his Masters dissertation, he not only refined the design of the glove itself but also developed specialised visualisation software to unlock its full range of applications.

Unlike conventional VR equipment, the glove allows users to touch and feel virtual objects through advanced motion tracking, haptic feedback and force-feedback. For instance, when grasping a virtual cup, the glove responds by holding the user’s fingers in place – creating the realistic sensation of gripping a physical object.

Sitthichai, who has moved back home to Germany following on from the completion of his Masters, said the possibilities for the glove are “limitless” with potential applications across a number of fields, including:

• Healthcare and rehabilitation by offering new ways to deliver therapy, training, and rehabilitation by simulating experiences in a controlled environment.
• Industrial training and safety by providing safe, immersive environments where workers can train for hazardous tasks without the real-world risks.
• Manufacturing and product development through allowing engineers to interact with virtual prototypes, improving design efficiency and reducing development costs.
• Gaming as the glove would take immersion to the next level of what typical game controllers can provide. For example, instead of pressing buttons, players could use their actual hands and fingers to interact with games.

Watch Sitthichai talk about the glove here:

Speaking about the glove, Sitthichai said: “My goal when developing the glove was to push the boundaries of how humans interact with technology.

“By combining immersive VR with realistic touch, the glove opens up so many possibilities across a variety of fields from healthcare and rehabilitation simulation to industry training, product development and even for entertainment purposes, such as gaming.

"The University has been incredibly supportive throughout my time here. From access to specialist equipment to guidance from staff, I’ve had the freedom and encouragement to turn what was a rough working prototype to something more refined, as well as developing specialised visualisation software alongside it to unlock its full range of applications.

“I don’t think the glove would’ve reached this stage without such a supportive environment."

Dr. Shafiul Monir, Associate Dean for International and Partnerships in the Faculty of Arts, Computing and Engineering at Wrexham University, said: “Sitthichai’s work is a fantastic example of the vision and technical skill our students bring to their studies. The University prides itself on supporting innovation and supporting students with the facilities and mentoring that they need to take bold ideas forward.

“It’s incredible to see student-led projects such as this, producing technology with real-world potential.”

• There is still time to apply for our Computing degrees – starting later this month – at Wrexham University. More information about our undergraduate Computing degrees here – and postgraduate Computing courses here.