MIT Working On Robotic Limbs That Attach To Shoulders, Waist

Nerval's Lobster writes: 'Following up on news that ActiveLink is building heavy-duty exoskeletons for work in nuclear plants, IEEE Spectrum reports that MIT researchers are experimenting with Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (SRLs) that attach to either the shoulder or waist. The SRLs are capable of lifting objects and bracing against solid surfaces. From the article: "The SRL watches what you're doing with your arms to decide how to move. It does that by monitoring two inertial measurement units (IMUs) that the user wears on the wrists. A third IMU sits at the base of the robot's shoulder mount, to track the overall orientation and motion of the SRL." In the future, we will all have the ability to become Doctor Octopus (minus two robo-limbs, of course).'

Only two hands

[the eric conspiracy]

So the complaint "geeze I only have two hands" isn't going to work any more.

Geeze.

Re:

[The123king]

I could never use that complaint anyway :P

Re:

[Hognoxious]

So which are you, motie or flid?

What could possibly go wrong?

[Tablizer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... [youtube.com]

Re:

[flyneye]

Did someone say SRL? http://www.srl.org/ [srl.org]
I figured they might have something to do with this.

Doc Oc?

[RealGene]

Can they light a cigar?

looks pretty useless

[issicus]

unless you're at comic con. I think they need to put cameras on the hands and connect them to google glasses , it would make a better youtube video.

Prior art

[Chris Mattern]

It's been done before. [wikipedia.org]

Redundant Refernce

[WarJolt]

Yeah we know....Did you even read the summary?

Won't fall over easily

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

> attach to either the shoulder

Ahhh...third arm!

> or the waist

Ahhhh, third leg! Ahem.