fuckyeahdarkextropian:

MIT Robot on the Shoulder Control

via Techcrunch:

MIT researchers have created a pair of robotic arms that connect to your shoulders and give you another pair of pinchers to help you lift heavy objects, keep objects in place while you attach them overhead.

The arms “watch” what your real arms are doing and, using video analysis, try to pitch in when needed. The project is sponsored by Boeing and the company hopes to use the technology, called Supernumerary Robotic Limbs, to help its workforce in factories and loading docks.

The system weighs ten pounds and attaches to your upper or lower back. The creators, Baldin Llorens-Bonilla and H. Harry Asada, call the system “A Robot on the Shoulder” and hope to bring it to market soon. Another system would include arms that can move back and create a sort of pair of tripod-like legs to help support humans as they lift large objects. These tools are superior to exoskeletons in that they are much lighter and won’t trap the user if they break or run out of battery.

RIPLEY
I feel like a fifth wheel here. Is there anything I can do?

APONE
I don’t know. Is there anything you can do?

RIPLEY (pointing)
I can drive that loader. I’ve got a Class Two rating. My latest career move.

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