MIT’s new wrist-mounted device enhances the ‘grasping’ motion of the human hand worn by Faye Wu (via MIT)
We could all use a helping hand in life, even if it’s something as simple as using a screwdriver or twisting off a bottle cap, which isn’t so easy to accomplish single handedly. Now imagine trying to perform those tasks using less than five fingers and it becomes even more difficult. We as humans rely on (and take for granted) the dexterity and functionality our hands provide to do everything from eating to playing the piano and everything in between.
In an effort to give our hands an upgrade, MIT researchers have designed what they call ‘supernumerary robotic fingers’ that provide an enhanced grasping motion for user’s hands. The device connects to the wearer’s wrist and essentially gives them two extra fingers to help perform everyday tasks. The fingers are positioned next to the thumb and pinky and use a specialized control algorithm to move in coordination with the ‘digits’ next to them. No, the device will not outfit you with a cybernetic hand capable of crushing huge boulders or small vehicles but rather uses actuators tied together to exert the same force found in the average person’s hand.
To design the SRF, the researchers first needed to understand how the human hand grasps objects. They found that there were two significant motions that work together in a form of ‘finger synergy’ by bringing the fingers together and pulling them inward (you just can’t make this stuff up). Those movements were then translated into an algorithm that allows the robotic digits to work in tandem with flesh-based fingers. The wrist-mounted device uses multiple position-reading sensors that tracks where the actual fingers are and what grasping motion they are performing, which works in tandem with the algorithm that ‘learns’ those motions for grasping different objects, such as a football or a coffee mug. The supernumerary robotic fingers are a work in progress and are still under development.
The research team is looking to are looking for ways to incorporate different force pressures for grasping certain objects and performing different tasks as well as being able to customize the grasp preferences as hand gestures differ from person to person. For example, the device could learn a certain individual’s gestural styles while performing different tasks and save them to a library that can be modified as those styles change. Think of people with degenerative arthritis, whose hand gestures slowly become hindered over time. It would also be beneficial to those with amputated or missing fingers, as the device would allow them the full use of their hands again.
The researchers predict that they will be able to reduce the SRF in size by a third, so instead of using a full wrist brace, it could be the size of a watch and the fingers could ‘fold out’ when needed and packed back up when not. It’s not yet known whether the device will ever hit the market, however if it does it could be a boon for everybody looking for a helping hand (or fingers).
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