CRI听力: Robotic Hand in HK

Researchers are developing a robotic hand which will allow internet users to physically reach out to the people they're communicating with via their computers. It could lead to workers shaking hands after a conference call, or parents stroking a child to sleep during a business trip.



 A group of researchers in mechanical and automation engineering at the University of Hong Kong are working on a way to literally let us reach out to each other on the internet.

Dr. Liu Yun-hui, Professor of Mechanical & Automation Engineering at the University of Hong Kong explains the purpose of this project.

"One of the main applications of this project is to provide an instant interaction for the users of internet communication systems like MSN, QQ, such as internet hand-shaking. Nowadays some children and their grandparents are separated in two different places; they need some interaction such as touching each other. In China grandparents like touching the back of children when they are sleeping. With this application, grandparents can touch their grandchildren's back through the robotic hand, which can help build up a relationship. The design of the robotic hand is to provide an interaction with a sense of feeling through the internet."

The system is made of seven groups of surface electromyography sensors which record the electrical activity produced by the movement of our skeletal muscles.

These sensors are then attached to the user's forearm so it can detect the small electric signals which are generated through a person contracting their muscles to communicate various signals, or emphasize what they're saying.
Fingers moving at different speeds and strengths generate different levels of electric energy.

By analyzing, translating, and transmitting the meaning of the electric signals over the internet, the robotic hand of another internet user can imitate the original motion of the human hand.

The robotic hand can imitate simple universal gestures like a two finger salute for victory, or touching the thumb to the forefinger to indicate something is "okay". Ultimately a human skin-like material will be used to cover the robotic hand to create the illusion of reality.

Student Lily Chin thinks it's essential to have the temperature feature so she can feel close to her overseas friends.

"The feeling will be more real if it can detect the human body temperature, for instance, if my friend's hand is cold, I would sense it and ask why my friend's hand is so cold and if he is sick."

It has also been suggested the robotic hand system could be used for online gaming.

The team estimates it'll cost around 50 US dollars to produce, but they hope the price will be reduced to around 30 US dollars if the product becomes popular and it can be mass produced.

If this team successfully updates the robotic hand with all the necessary features, we might eventually be using the internet to reach out across the world.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.