Need some help? How many times have you heard this sentence? From Genoa now this offer of help comes in concrete thanks to the project of two teams of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).
It is a robotic hand to help workers during tiring operations or high dose of risk. The project was carried out by two laboratories: the first is the Hrii (Human Robot Interfaces and physical Interaction) led by Professor Arash Ajoudani and the second is the SoftRobots (Soft Robotics for Human Cooperation and Rehabilitation) coordinated by Professor Antonio Bicchi. The robotic system of limbs consists of a harness that can be worn by the worker, to which are connected two arms equipped with robotic hands managed by intuitive controls.
The aim of the invention is, on the one hand, not to tire the worker, avoiding the so-called occupational diseases often present in heavy work, while on the other hand, to secure the worker in the event of more risky operations or where a large amount of physical effort is required that could compromise the worker’s muscles, tendons or bone structure.
It is not the only project on site in Genoa. The entire work of the two teams is focused on lightening and on the cooperation between man and machine, thanks to the great learning ability that the various models developed manage to have. One example is that of machines used to working together with man, providing tools at the right time, even calculating whether the worker is left-handed or right-handed and monitoring the state of fatigue. Needless to say, the main feature of these new friends will be the ability to learn from man, emulate his actions and, who knows, even improve them.