First-Ever Manipulation of Supernumerary Robotic Arms Via Virtual Environment Demonstrated

A team of researchers from the University of Tokyo, Keio University, and the Toyohashi University of Technology has recently demonstrated supernumerary robotic arms that are operated by foot movements of the user in a virtual environment. The technology has shown that participants of the study could feel the robotic arms as an extension of their bodies.

Supernumerary Robotic Arms; An Extension of the Body

The recent study gives more insight into the design of human augmentation systems that can be used in the future more naturally and freely without the restrictions of cognitive efforts, such as the user's body.

In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, titled "Embodiment of supernumerary robotic limbs in virtual reality," Ken Arai, a doctoral student, together with Masahiko Inami, a professor from the University of Tokyo, and their colleagues have developed a novel supernumerary robotic arm that works alongside its user's foot movements via a virtual reality environment. The demonstration has shown that users of the robotic arms considered them part of their bodies.

In order for researchers to extend the bodily functions of the said robotic third and fourth arms, it is vital that the user can perceive the arms as an extension of its own body which will lead to easy manipulation, similar to how we manipulate our natural limbs.

The group performed several experiments to capture the perceptual changes when the user embodies the arms after using and learning about the third and fourth robotic arms. The bodily phenomenon of visual-haptic interaction with the robotic arms and the sensation that the number of a person's limbs has increased have just been revealed for the first time in a recent study.

Human Limbs and the Embodiment of Robotic Arms

As humans, numerous tasks in our daily lives are accomplished because of the skillful manipulation of our limbs. Tools are also used to finish difficult tasks that our bodies alone aren't able to do. The recently developed supernumerary robotic arms aim to provide an extension of the body's functions by adding extra limbs, third and fourth robotic arms, using the appropriate human-computer interaction systems. Experts expect that the other robotic arms will be able to move as intended naturally, just like how participants of the study naturally use their arms and legs. On the other hand, whether users perceive the robotic system as an extension of their body needs further investigation, reports EurekAlert.

The study's results suggest that the augmentation of human bodily functions by adding extra limbs has generated sensations that the users have acquired additional parts that are different from their innate body parts. The findings contribute to the creation of novel methods for evaluating supernumerary robotic systems from the embodiment perspective. Furthermore, the embodiment of supernumerary robotic limbs may expand in the near future and refine research in embodiment and cognitive sciences.

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