They create a robotic hand to simulate a woman holding your hand

A robotic hand to simulate a woman shaking hands

Robotics, as with everything related to the use of artificial intelligence, is one of the fields that has evolved the most in recent years. Although previously somewhat crude proposals in both design and movement, it can now be said that behaviors can be achieved that differ little from what any of us could do as human beings.

As a matter of movement we have already seen multiple demonstrations of Atlas, the Boston Dynamics robot. This is not only capable of walking or running, but is also capable of jumping and even doing parkour. Then there are other proposals such as the most recent one we saw from Disney Research and which proposes a robot capable of blinking and gesturing like a human being.

However, this proposal from a group of Japanese engineers is slightly different. In principle, because it is not just a robotic hand, but it simulates the hand of a woman. Hence the name of My walking girl, although it could perfectly have been that of a man and changed the name to Boyfriend. Because the basic idea wouldn’t change anything.

With this hand what they are looking for is offer the feeling of company when walking. Yes, we admit it’s a little weird, but sometimes that simple gesture can mean a lot to some people who are alone every day or most of the day.

To resemble the real feeling of holding someone else’s hand, this robotic hand is constructed with a flexible material that simulates leather. This contains a number of pores which together with the use of other components is able to change the temperature to convey a greater sense of realism.

Along with all of this, the hand has articulated fingers so that the grip can also be felt and as the icing on the cake, the hand is scented.

The future is less science fiction

My Girlfriend in Walk is still a proposal whose real implementation will go far beyond simply bringing that hand attached to your arm and with the aim of feeling less alone when walking. The progress made will now be marked the future of robots that will be created and will bring that science fiction world we see in series and theaters closer to the real world.

What will be curious is how all these issues will be accepted. To what extent will it be accepted in 10, 15, 20 or 50 years that a robot walks down the street hand in hand. Something we assume will happen, in the same way that we accept it as normal to see people talking on the street while walking thanks to the use of hands free. Of course, as long as you can, it’s best to hold the hand of a real person.