Robot hand lets internet users touch and feel online (News Feature)

By Hazel Parry Apr 15, 2010, 6:46 GMT

Hong Kong - You can already talk to and see your friends and loved ones online. Now a robotic hand has been invented that allows you to touch and hold hands with them over the internet too.

In a development that could add a new dimension to online dating, scientists of the Chinese Univeristy of Hong Kong have created a cyber hand that uses the electrical impulses created by muscles to send hand movements through users' computers.

At the moment the hand, which connects to an electronic wristband, is only capable of basic movements such as gripping, waving and making 'V' signs for peace and 'O' for okay.

However, the scientists behind the development say with more research investment and some technological fine-tuning, it could one day be capable of a whole range of movements.

It may even be possible to custom-make exact copies of a person's hand to give a more real and personal experience, they said.

Professor Liu Yunhui, who led the team of researchers, said the robotic hand is able to almost instantly imitate the original motion of the human hand and offer the feeling of touch.

The cyber hand is now awaiting a patent and is expected to be on sale in time for Christmas with a price tag of between 30 and 50 US dollars for one hand with wristband and sensors. But users will need to buy a pair to take full advantage of the cyber touch experience.

Liu's team unveiled the gadget at an international technology expo in Hong Kong this week.

The hand, he said, works by using the electrical impulses generated by muscles as they contract.

These signals are picked up by a electromyography sensor worn like a watch on the forearm of the person making the movements.

The computer receives the signals and uses software to analyze them and work out which muscle is being used and the strength of each movement.

This information is then transmitted over the internet to the receiving computer, where the signals are translated into instructions for the receiver's robotic hand.

'At this moment the function is not perfect and it can't copy exactly, partly because the robot hand is different from the human hand in terms of the degree of freedom of movement it has,' Liu said. He said there were still some delays in processing and mechanical problems, but believed it would be possible to produce more sophisticated and more dexterous movements in the future.

'The main obstacle we have at the moment is the cost. Our project target was to produce a toy. It was intended to be low cost and so there were constraints because of the money we could spend,' Liu said.

'If you want high dexterity, it is possible, but you need more motors and you have to spend more money.'

Prototypes have a basic design but Liu said talks were already underway with a manufacturer to create a silicon rubber hand that would be temperature-controlled to give it a more natural appearance and feel, or have different sizes.

It would also be possible to have one custom-made by scanning a hand and asking the manufacturer to replicate it, he said. 'But it would be costly.'

Liu said the original intention of the research team had been to develop something that could help families keep in touch.

'Although they can show their care through phone calls, physical touch is still a better way to express love. With the system, elderly people and their children and grandchildren can touch and hold hands via the internet and show affection directly,' he said.

However, he claimed the system could also have medical uses by allowing stroke patients to undergo rehabilitation in their own homes.

'With the system, stroke patients can receive hand physiotherapy treatment at home. The surface electromyography sensor can also help physicians to monitor the progress of a patient's recovery by constantly detecting their level of muscle contraction.'

There could also be future applications on the online dating circuit.