Researchers at the National Institute for Advanced Science and Technology (NIST) and the University of Tokyo have recently developed a robotic limb named AugLimb. It can support humans in performing various tasks, such as cooking or cleaning.
Most wearable robotic arms are mounted on the upper body, such as the upper limbs, waist, or shoulders. While some robotic arms have achieved good results, they are often bulky and uncomfortable for users to wear.
The robotic arm invented by researchers is small in size and lightweight when folded, does not affect the wearer's daily activities, and is suitable for long-term wear. Compared with other robotic arms, AugLimb has increased length, being approximately 2.5 times the length of the average human forearm.
Researchers believe it could also be used by surgeons, construction workers, and other professionals who do manual labor every day.
AugLimb is still in the prototype stage, and the team plans to continue testing and improving its capabilities before commercialization.
