Spiderman character!
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Masahiko Inami of the University of Tokyo poses with the wearable "Jizai Arms" at his lab during a demonstration in Tokyo on June 22. Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Japanese researchers develop robot arms to unlock creativity
June 28 06:35 pm JST
By Anton Bridge and Tom BatemanTOKYO
What would society look like if cyborg body parts were freely available for use like roadside rental bicycles? Masahiko Inami's team at the University of Tokyo have sought to find out by creating wearable robotic arms.
Inami's team is developing a series of technologies rooted in the idea of jizai, a Japanese term that he says roughly denotes autonomy and the freedom to do as one pleases.
The aim is to foster something like the relationship between musician and instrument, "lying somewhere between a human and a tool, like how a musical instrument can become as if a part of your body."
Staff members control the robot arm control unit which is synced with wearable robot arms which Masahiko Inami wears. Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Inami says he was inspired by traditional Japanese puppetry and a quasi-horror short story by novelist Yasunari Kawabata about a man who borrows a young woman's arm and proceeds to spend the night with it.
"This is absolutely not a rival to human beings, but rather something that helps us do as we please, like a bicycle or e-bike. It supports us and can unlock creativity," Inami said.
A promotional video for the "Jizai Arms" shows two ballet dancers performing a routine with robotic arms protruding from their backs and torsos - human and machine moving in concert. The dancers ultimately embrace, cyborg arms included.
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Masahiko Inami of the University of Tokyo poses with the wearable "Jizai Arms" at his lab during a demonstration in Tokyo on June 22. Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Japanese researchers develop robot arms to unlock creativityJune 28 06:35 pm JST
By Anton Bridge and Tom BatemanTOKYO
What would society look like if cyborg body parts were freely available for use like roadside rental bicycles? Masahiko Inami's team at the University of Tokyo have sought to find out by creating wearable robotic arms.
Inami's team is developing a series of technologies rooted in the idea of jizai, a Japanese term that he says roughly denotes autonomy and the freedom to do as one pleases.
The aim is to foster something like the relationship between musician and instrument, "lying somewhere between a human and a tool, like how a musical instrument can become as if a part of your body."
Staff members control the robot arm control unit which is synced with wearable robot arms which Masahiko Inami wears. Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Inami says he was inspired by traditional Japanese puppetry and a quasi-horror short story by novelist Yasunari Kawabata about a man who borrows a young woman's arm and proceeds to spend the night with it.
"This is absolutely not a rival to human beings, but rather something that helps us do as we please, like a bicycle or e-bike. It supports us and can unlock creativity," Inami said.
A promotional video for the "Jizai Arms" shows two ballet dancers performing a routine with robotic arms protruding from their backs and torsos - human and machine moving in concert. The dancers ultimately embrace, cyborg arms included.
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