
The malleable arm is mostly bendy, with a rigid part at the end (P6-P5)
Imperial researchers have designed a malleable robotic arm that can be guided into shape by a person using augmented reality (AR) goggles.
The flexible arm, which was designed and created at Imperial College London, can twist and turn in all directions, making it readily customisable for potential applications in manufacturing, spacecraft maintenance, and even injury rehabilitation.
In many ways it can be seen as a detached, bendier, third arm. It could help in many situations where an extra limb might come in handy and help to spread the workload.
Alex Ranne and Angus ClarkDepartment of Computing/Dyson School of Design Engineering
Instead of being constrained by rigid limbs and firm joints, the versatile arm is readily bendable into a wide variety of shapes. In practice, people working alongside the robot would manually bend the arm into the precise shape needed for each task, a level of flexibility made possible by the slippery layers of mylar sheets inside, which slide over one another and can lock into place. However, configuring the robot into specific shapes without guidance has proven to be difficult for users.
We’ve shown that AR can simplify working alongside our malleable robot.
Dr Nicolas RojasDyson School of Design Engineering
To enhance the robot’s user-friendliness, researchers at Imperial’s REDS (Robotic manipulation: Engineering, Design, and Science) Lab have designed a system for users to see in AR how to configure their robot. Wearing mixed reality smart glasses and through motion tracking cameras, users see templates and designs in front of them superimposed onto their real-world environment. They then adjust the robotic arm until it matches the template, which turns green on successful configuration so that the robot can be locked into place.
Senior author of the paper Dr Nicolas Rojas, of Imperial’s Dyson School of Design Engineering, said: “One of the key issues in adjusting these robots is accuracy in their new position. We humans aren’t great at making sure the new position matches the template, which is why we looked to AR for help.
“We’ve shown that AR can simplify working alongside our malleable robot. The approach gives users a range of easy-to-create robot positions, for all sorts of applications, without needing so much technical expertise.”

Video detailing the configuration of the robot using AR
The researchers tested the system on five men aged 20-26 with experience in robotics but no experience with manipulating malleable robots specifically. The subjects were able to adjust the robot accurately, and the results are published in IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine.
Bent into shape
Potential applications include manufacturing, and building and vehicle maintenance. Because the arm is lightweight, it could also be used on spacecraft where every kilogram counts. It is also gentle enough that it could be used in injury rehabilitation, helping a patient perform an exercise while their physiotherapist performs another.
Co-first authors and PhD researchers Alex Ranne and Angus Clark, from the Department of Computing and Dyson School of Design Engineering respectively, said: “In many ways it can be seen as a detached, bendier, third arm. It could help in many situations where an extra limb might come in handy and help to spread the workload.”
The researchers are still in the process of perfecting the robot as well as its AR component. Next, they will look into introducing touch and audio elements to the AR to boost its accuracy in configuring the robot.
Although the pool of participants was narrow, the researchers say their initial findings show that AR could be a successful approach to adapting malleable robots following further testing and user training.
They are also looking into strengthening the robots. Although their flexibility and softness makes them easier to configure and maybe even safer to work alongside humans, they are less rigid while in the locked position, which could affect precision and accuracy.
Original Article: Bendy robotic arm twisted into shape with help of augmented reality
More from: Imperial College London
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Augmented reality robotics
- Surgical Robots Global Market Report 2022: Increasing Prevalence of Neurological Disorders Fuels Growth - ResearchAndMarkets.com
Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global surgical robots market size reached US$ 3.9 ...
- Surgical Robots Global Market Report 2022: Integration of AI, AR/VR and IoT into Healthcare Bolsters Sector
The "Surgical Robots Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's ...
- Consumer Electronics show. Best of CES 2023: A color-changing BMW and a boba tea robot
Tech companies are showing off their latest products at CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics show. Innovations include a bartending robot making boba tea and a digital ...
- Best of CES 2023: A color-changing BMW and a boba tea robot
BMW is betting on a car that can change colors. The German car manufacturer's latest concept car can display up to 32 colors and allows drivers to customize their cars digitally. That’s not the only ...
- Tech companies show virtual heads, a bartending robot and more at tech show in Las Vegas
Tech companies showed off their latest products this week in Las Vegas at CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, with new developments in video as well as lifestyle enhancements ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Augmented reality robotics
[google_news title=”” keyword=”augmented reality robotics” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
AR to configure robots
- Daily deals Jan. 8: $50 off Apple Watch Series 8, 31% off Roborock Q5+ Robot Vacuum, $200 off 75-inch LG 4K Smart TV, more
The best deals we found today include $150 off an M2 13-inch MacBook Pro, 10% off Beats Fit Pro x Kim Kardashian, and $100 off the Canon EOS R10 Mirrorless Camera.
- 'M3GAN' does what it needs to as a horror film — but gets one thing wrong
Films about killer robots show us such obvious and extreme dangers that we’ve allowed the slow creep of subtler but equally scary threats to our privacy.
- Whole Foods must pay $300,000 over accusations that a system meant to track productivity captured warehouse workers' voices without their consent
Whole Foods' warehouse workers in Illinois could receive payments after the Amazon-owned chain recorded their voices for a work productivity system.
- Robots aren’t stealing jobs, they’re enabling us to spend more time being human
As a lifelong “techy” who has spent more than 20 years developing and integrating technology to solve business problems, this massive imbalance begs an obvious question: could robots help to ...
- Robots are stepping up to takeout delivery
In Miami, Uber Eats is now using robots to deliver takeout orders to some customers. Powered by artificial intelligence, the mobile robots of the Californian company Cartken are sufficiently ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
AR to configure robots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”AR to configure robots” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]