New robotic fingers upgrade the human hand

Researchers at MIT have developed a prototype that will benefit people with disabilities or limited arm strength. 

Image: Melanie Gonick/MIT

A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have invented a robotic hand with two extra fingers that will allow users to perform a wider range of tasks.

The device is a glove with two long fingers and a sensor that can be worn around the wrist. “You do not need to command the robot, but simply move your fingers naturally. Then the robotic fingers react and assist your fingers,” explained Harry Asada, a mechanical engineering professor at MIT to Jennifer Chu over at MIT News.

People with disabilities and those who have lost arm strength due to neck injuries will be greatly benefitted from the technology, because it allows wearers to perform many actions that would normally be difficult for them, such as opening a jar or slicing a loaf of bread.

The research team is working towards more practical solutions, as well as on smaller models for the 'supernumerary robotic fingers'. As Asada explains, “We could make this into a watch or abracelet where the fingers pop up, and when the job is done, they come back into the watch. Wearable robots are a way to bring the robot closer to our daily life."