A proof of concept for future metal-made cyborg arms

Aug 22, 2015 12:26 GMT  ·  By

Although the Lego BrickFair New Jersey 2015 isn’t here yet, an interesting Lego cyborg design from the last year BrickFair showed how easily a fully functional robot arm technology can work on Lego pieces, and why those lego pieces can be replaced by metal and aluminum.

Being basically a Lego-built exoskeleton, the Lego arm developed by Diavo Voltaggio, awesome name, works very smoothly, easily and intuitively, and can shake hands and impress visitors. Built on a LEGO Mark VI Mindstorms, the arm is equipped with LEDs and has a funny looking smartphone mount that does nothing except looking cool on this guy’s arm.

Unfortunately, being made out of Lego, it can neither lift heavy weights nor do incredible feats on the battlefield, but the design behind it could easily be applied to a more serious all-metal application similar to ActiveLink’s upcoming power loader, and really enhance a human’s gripping and carrying capabilities.

The Lego includes four motors linked to an array of buttons positioned at the base of the mechanical fingers and activate at the wearer’s touch. This way the hand mimics the wearer’s finger movements by opening and closing at his exact input.

Apparently, this isn’t Voltaggio’s first attempt at the cyborg arm and he promises the version he’ll come with at this year’s BrickFair 2015 will be much more advanced. Another reason that I believe it isn’t extremely easy to build such metal-based mechanical arms is their weight. To have such cyborg arms lift heavier weights than what your natural hands can, they must by supported by a much more advanced gyroscopic system in extension of their wearer’s body.