What would society look like if a cyborg’s body parts were readily available for use, similar to renting bikes on the side of the road? Through the development of wearable robotic limbs, Masahiko Inami’s team at the University of Tokyo set out to find out.
According to Inami, his team is developing a series of technologies based on the Japanese concept of “jizai,” which roughly translates to “autonomy” and “freedom.”
The goal is to cultivate a relationship between the musician and the instrument that is “somewhere between a human being and a tool, similar to how a musical instrument can feel like a part of your body.”
Inami says she was inspired by traditional Japanese puppetry and novelist Yasunari Kawabata’s quasi-horror tale of a man who steals a young woman’s arm and spends the night with it.
“This is not a competitor for humans, but something that helps us do what we want, like a bicycle or an electric bike.” It helps us and can spark creativity,” Inami explained.
A promotional video for “Jizai Arms” shows two ballet dancers performing a routine with robotic arms protruding from their backs and torsos: humans and machines moving in unison. Finally, the dancers embrace each other, including cyborg limbs.
After a while, some users become attached to the arms, according to Inami. “It’s kind of sad to take them off after wearing them for a while.” “That’s where they differ from other tools,” she explained.
However, he continued, the potential goes beyond bringing a novelist’s idea to life, such as assisting in search-and-rescue activities. “We might see wings coming out of people’s backs in the future, or drones attached to humans… Maybe someone will invent a six-armed sport or a new kind of swimming,” Inami speculated.
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Categories: Technology
Source: vtt.edu.vn