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| Supernumerary Robotic Fingers--Courtesy of MIT |
People suffering from limited dexterity in their hands may soon get an extra set of fingers to help navigate daily life with a device researchers at MIT have developed. The device is worn on the wrist and uses a unique algorithm to mimic human movement.
Called Supernumerary Robotic Fingers, the device is made up of actuators linked together that exert forces that equal that of human fingers during a grasping motion. It works essentially like two extra digits with one located next to the wearer's thumb and the other next to the pinky finger. The algorithm allows them to move in sync with the wearer's fingers while grasping things of various shapes and sizes.
"This is a completely intuitive and natural way to move your robotic fingers," Harry Asada, the Ford Professor of Engineering in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering, said in a statement. "You do not need to command the robot, but simply move your fingers naturally. Then the robotic fingers react and assist your fingers."
Asada, along with graduate student Faye Wu, unveiled the device last week at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference in Berkeley, CA. The algorithm they developed to correlate the various positions of the two robotic fingers with its five human partners "teaches" the device certain postures the wearer wants them to take, Asada said.
Initially, the device may help people with limited dexterity to perform routine household tasks like opening jars and lifting heavy objects. Ultimately, perhaps, the technology could be used to assist in delicate surgical procedures. Other wearable device technologies, like Google Glass, are also starting to make their way into the medical device world in ways that were not originally thought of when they were first developed.