Vishwa Robotics out of Cambridge, Massachusetts has designed a new robotic hand that could replace submersible "lobster claws" and astronaut gloves. The Vishwa Extensor is a remotely-operated mechanical hand that allows the operator to feel what the distant robot hand feels.
The new invention is an extension of a previous Vishwa Extensor that was worn like a glove and provided force feedback to allow the operator to grasp objects firmly or gently. Because the new Extensor can be operated remotely, aquanauts, astronauts, and other people working in hostile environments could handle materials such as radioactive or chemical substances from a safe location and with greater dexterity than ever before.
The gloves on space suits are bulky, and astronauts commonly experience restricted blood flow to their hands due to the tight, pressurized fit. Sometimes the lack of circulation is so bad that their fingernails fall off. Similarly, the robotic pincers of deep-sea submersibles can be clunky and unwieldy. The Vishwa Extensor could solve both of these problems.
The Vishwa Extensor mimics the dexterity of a human hand while achieving a significantly stronger grip. Bhargav Gajjar, founder of Vishwa Robotics, called the robotic hand "better than biology."
Gajjar says that the Vishwa Extensor "will shape the future of the human hand for use in extremes," according to Scientific American. "Attaching human-like robotic arms and human-like robotic hands will convert any autonomous vehicle into a human avatar that can grasp and feel the alien environment without endangering human life." Because who hasn't wanted to hold a chunk of uranium and live to tell the tale?
Source: Scientific American
Jay Bennett is the associate editor of PopularMechanics.com. He has also written for Smithsonian, Popular Science and Outside Magazine.
