What would the world look like if cyborg body parts were freely available like rental bicycles? Masahiko Inami and his team at the University of Tokyo want to find out, so they have created wearable robotic arms!
Inami's team is inventing a series of technologies from the idea of jizai, a Japanese word that means "the freedom to do as you please".
The aim is to create something like the relationship between a musician and their instrument, "somewhere between a human and a tool, like how a musical instrument can feel like a part of your body."
Inami says he was inspired by traditional Japanese puppets.
"This is not a rival to human beings, but rather something that helps us do as we please, like a bicycle or e-bike. It supports us and can unlock creativity," he says.
A video for the "Jizai Arms" shows two ballet dancers performing with robotic arms attached to their backs and torsos – human and machine moving together.
Some wearers grow fond of the arms after some time.
"Taking them off after using them for a while feels a little sad. That's where they are a little different to other tools," Inami says.
The potential of robot arms goes beyond turning fantasy into reality. For instance, they could help in search-and-rescue missions, he thinks.
"In the future we might see wings growing out of people's backs, or drones attached to people … Maybe someone will come up with a sport that needs six arms, or invent a new type of swimming," Inami says.
Five things to know about
1. A robot is an artificial worker. It does jobs that humans want it to do.
2. Humans have thought about robots for a long time. Around 500 years ago, the famous inventor Leonardo da Vinci sketched out his plans for a human-shaped robot.
3. However, most robots do not look like humans. They are designed to do just one job. They come in many forms.
4. For instance, robotic arms are used to help with car manufacturing and in other factories. Another kind of robot lifts and stacks pieces of metal that are too hot for people to touch. There are also robots that help at home, to vacuum the floor.
5. Medical robots do surgery in places inside the body where a human hand is too big.
