Low-rez capture of The Zipperbot in action (via Government Fishbowl)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is a force to be reckoned with in the world of technology. From developing tech savvy urban dwellings to experimenting with engineered insulin, the institution is pushing the boundaries of the relationship between man and machine. In typical MIT fashion, the trendy technology hub is at it again, as its Personal Robotics Group recently announced its newest development – a robot that can zip up you pants for you.
The tiny robot is called Zipperbot (very creative, we know) and as its name suggests, it zippers. Not only does it zipper, but in a recent video released by the Personal Robotics Group, it also unzips (ooh… ahh…). That’s right ladies and gents. With the Zipperbot you never have to zip, or unzip, your clothing ever again. In the video, we see a brave volunteer wearing a yellow fabric sleeve, equipped with one long, winding zipper. The Zipperbot successfully completed what the Group calls basic pattern self-assembly, as it successfully zipped the cylindrical pattern and stopped on cue. The group also demonstrated what it calls coordinated movement [of] multiple Zipperbots, or in layman’s terms, two Zipperbots working at once to zip, and then unzip, the same zipper. What’s the point in that, you ask? We too have similar questions…
While the announcement seems small, it’s part of MIT’s larger Sartorial Robotics project, which aims to unite man and machine in more social ways. In essence, we need not be afraid of robots, because they can help us… zipper our pants and such… The overall aim seems to want to create a world where robotic wearables are more widely accepted, and while you’d have to be the laziest person in the world to refuse to zip your own pants, the invention does have practical uses for the disabled. Amputees, paraplegics and workers who wear bulky suits, such as quarantine or astronaut suits, could practically benefit from a self-zipping zipper. The rest of us cool cats can just bask in our technological glory.
While the Personal Robots Group is rather proud of its accomplishment, it isn’t the only robotics team working on robotic clothing. Last fall, for example, researchers from Purdue University developed a technology that could potentially turn any fabric into a robot. The wearable technology enables fabric and other soft materials to bend in different directions, enabling it to slither ever so slowly. If you’re not a good dancer, perhaps this wearable is for you. While this and the Zipperbot are only concepts at this stage, some wearables are already on the market, including Rest Devices’ Mimo Baby, a wearable onesie for infants that monitors respiration and sends vital updates to your smartphone. If you’re sheepish about wearable technology, it may be time to get over it.
If one thing is for certain, it’s that wearable robotic technology will only continue to advance. Today it’s autonomous zippers; tomorrow, a version of Google Glass that actually works (or so we hope).
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