Our robotic creations are getting smarter. A new robot created at the University of Tokyo is so smart that it can peel a banana, at least most of the time.
A team of researchers released their initial study about the robot earlier this month in the Cornell University journal Arxiv, and new video footage posted this week on New Scientist's YouTube channel shows the bot in action. Two arms, each equipped with two fingers, gently rotate the banana and peel it back. The rest of the skin can be removed by manipulating the fruit.
The robot was able to peel bananas a little more than half the time. Machines struggle with gentle touch and nuanced motor skills because no two bananas, apples or any other fruit are the same. Researchers used a robot to peel hundreds of bananas and give it the chance to learn how to peel its own.
One use case that instantly comes to mind for such a robot is as a mobility aide for people who need help with fine motor skills. Patients with arthritis may be unable to open toothpaste, open cans, or peel fruit.
According to the Disability Benefits Center, arthritis can make it impossible for a person to work or complete daily tasks. If a robot like the one shown above could be manufactured for home or personal use, it could help handle small chores and give a patient some mobility back.
It's cool to see a bot peel a banana, but we want to see how tech is used to improve everyday lives in the future.
There is more on human and machine relationships.
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