When there are not enough hands

A robotic device worn on the wrist will give a person an "extra hand"

DailyTechInfo based on Seeker Materials: Robotic Wrist-Worn Joint Gives You Another Hand

There are very often situations in life when a person desperately needs another hand. This problem is quite acute in some cases, and robotics researchers have already created a number of devices capable of acting as an auxiliary human limb. Now we will tell you about another similar development, which was carried out by Sang-won Leigh, a graduate student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who worked under the guidance of Professor Pattie Maes. And the main advantage of this development, despite its unsightly appearance, is that signals generated by the human brain are used to control it.

The robotic device, similar to the robot's grip, consists of 11 servomotors held together by LEGO elements. Each of the mechanical joints can move within 180 degrees of angle, and the entire structure is supported by a cuff attached to the wrist of a person. Electrodes are installed from the lower part of the cuff, with the help of which signals circulating through the human nervous system are read. In addition, the cuff acts as a link that coordinates the computerized control system, sensors and actuators of the device.

Sensors-electrodes receive electromyographic signals from the muscles of the hands and transmit data to a computer. The computer, using the principles of gesture control, generates the appropriate commands for controlling the actuators of the device. Various hand movements make the manipulator perform certain movements or take a certain shape; in addition, some of the gestures allow a person to switch different control modes.

"Additional mechanical joints and limbs combined with our biology allow us to significantly expand the scope of our skills and abilities," says Sang–won Lei, "New principles of human interaction with computers and mechanisms can give us abilities that significantly expand our innate ones."

The device can become additional fingers, allowing a person to do something that can only be done with three hands. In addition, the device can transform into a stand for recording, function as a joystick, turn pages of books and much more. And musicians armed with additional mechanical limbs will be able to create virtuoso things that are inaccessible to ordinary people.

And in conclusion, it should be noted that the robotic device was demonstrated to the public at the CHI 2016 international conference (Human-Computer Interaction). And Ley and Professor Maes were awarded an incentive award in this regard.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  06.06.2016