Researchers at MIT have developed a robot that enhances the grasping motion of the human hand. The device, worn around one’s wrist, works essentially like two extra fingers adjacent to the pinky and thumb.

A novel control algorithm enables it to move in sync with the wearer’s fingers to grasp objects of various shapes and sizes. Wearing the robot, a user could use one hand to, for instance, hold the base of a bottle while twisting off its cap.

The robot, which the researchers have dubbed “supernumerary robotic fingers,” consists of actuators linked together to exert forces as strong as those of human fingers during a grasping motion.

Takes the idea of a waldo down to something more approachable. Can’t say I ever would have thought of anything like this, but it’s not hard to see uses for this kind of micro-waldo.

Mechanical engineers Harry Asada and Faye Wu via MIT News.