Microtube HEXR glove user manual
Everything you need to set up, wear, test and look after a HEXR glove.
In the box
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| The glove | Worn on the hand. Six expandable indenter channels press into your fingertips to produce the sensation, and a magnetic connector joins it to the arm module. No electronics inside |
| The arm module | Straps around the wrist. Houses the electronics and the pump, along with the power button, the battery light and the USB-C port. A magnetic connector joins it to the glove |
| The battery pack | Clips onto the arm module magnetically. Removable, so a flat pack can be swapped for a charged one |
Check the sides and the size
Do this before anything else — it explains most first-day confusion.
Match left to left, right to right
The magnetic connectors are reversed between the two sides, so a left glove will not mate with a right arm module.
If a connector pushes back, the sides are mismatched
That is the magnet doing its job, not a fault. Swap to the matching side and it pulls itself into place.
| Size | Glove length |
|---|---|
| S | 18 cm |
| M | 22 cm |
That measurement is the glove’s own length, from the tip of the middle finger to the base of the glove. It is not a hand measurement.
HEXR comes in red, orange and mustard, and the choice is not only cosmetic — it affects how well your headset sees your hands. Pick the colour that stands out most against the room the gloves will be used in.
Charge it
There are two ways to charge, and they suit different moments.
| Method | Use it when |
|---|---|
| USB-C into the arm module, battery attached | Charging the kit as one piece — between sessions, or overnight |
| Magnetic charger, battery on its own | Charging a spare pack while the kit stays in use |
The light on the arm module tells you where the battery is:
| Light | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | Fully charged |
| Blue | Somewhere between 30% and 90% |
| Red | Low — charge it, or swap in another pack |
A pack runs about three hours of continuous use. Swapping a fresh one in takes seconds, which is why a session never has to stop for charging.
Put it on
If a fingertip is not seated all the way in, the part that produces the sensation never touches your finger — and the glove feels like it is not working. Almost every report of weak or missing feedback turns out to be fit.
Push every finger all the way in
Each fingertip should reach the end of its pocket. A finger that stops short leaves the indenter pressing on the wrong place, or on nothing at all.
Check where the indenter sits
It should rest on the pad of your fingertip — not up on the nail, and not back on the first joint.
Snug, but not tight
The glove should hold the indenters against your fingers without squeezing them.
Route the arm module so it does not pull
If the strap tugs the glove backwards, your fingertips come away from the indenters and the feeling goes with them.
Check the air tubes are clear
The sensation is carried by air, so a tube that is trapped, bent or pinched blocks the channel it feeds. Gently straighten out any kinks, and give the tubes a light pull to make sure none of them is caught.
Turn it on
Press and hold the power button on the arm module. Press and hold again to turn it off. The glove itself has nothing to switch on.
Check it works
Before using it in an application, confirm the hardware is fine on its own. HEXR Window Tester is a free Windows app that does exactly this.
Install it and connect the glove
The download is not code-signed, so Windows shows a blue warning screen. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
Run Quick test
It drives all six channels in turn and reports pass or fail on each, so you can feel every one working.
Keep the result
If you ever need support, this is the most useful thing you can send us — it says in one step whether the glove or the setup is at fault.
Using it
HEXR supplies the sense of touch. It does not track where your hand is — that comes from your headset or an optical tracker, and HEXR layers the feeling on top of your natural movements.
It works with Meta Quest 2, Quest 3 and Quest 3S, Pico 4 and Microsoft HoloLens, and pairs with Leap Motion hand-tracking.
Installing the Unity package, using the Python library and the full API reference all live in the developer hub. This manual stops at the hardware on purpose.
Looking after it
| Do this | Why |
|---|---|
| Hand wash the glove only | Never put it in a washing machine |
| Detach the glove from the arm module first | The electronics are all in the module and the battery pack — keep those dry |
| Let it dry fully before using it again | A damp glove put back on the module risks the connector |
| Store the battery part-charged | Better for the pack than leaving it flat for weeks |
Cleaning between different users — the shared-use case in teaching and clinical settings — is a different question from washing, and is not answered here. If you need a procedure for it, ask us.
If something is not working
Work down this list in order, and change one thing at a time.
| What you are seeing | Try this first |
|---|---|
| Nothing happens at all | Check the module is switched on and the battery light is not red. Then check the fit — see Put it on |
| One finger feels weaker than the rest | Take the glove off, reseat that finger fully, and run Quick test. If the channel still fails, contact us |
| The connector will not attach | Almost always a left glove against a right module, or the reverse |
| It works in the tester but not in an application | Then the glove is fine and the application is at fault. That is a developer matter — see the developer FAQ |
| It runs flat quickly | Battery packs are consumable and lose capacity with use. Spares can be bought |
Warranty and support
Hardware carries a 12-month warranty from delivery, covering manufacturing defects and component failure under normal use. Wear parts — batteries and the soft glove components — are handled separately, because they degrade with use by design. The exact terms come with your order.
If something has failed, run Quick test in HEXR Window Tester first and send us the result. That usually identifies the problem without anything having to be shipped anywhere.
Contact us for support, spare parts or extra battery packs.
Safety
This section still needs Microtube’s own safety and compliance wording — battery handling, age guidance, and anything required by the markets HEXR ships to. It has been left blank rather than guessed at.