Someone's Invented A Robotic Finger That Strokes Your Hand While You're On The Phone

We have so many questions


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MobiLimb

You know how, in Jurassic Park, Jeff Goldbloom's character says: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should"?

Well there's a bunch of French researchers that would do well to have that written, in large letters, across the wall of their laboratory. 

Because Marc Teyssier, Gilles Bailly, Catherine Pelachaud and Eric Lecolinet are responsible for the MobiLimb, an unbelievably questionable robotic finger which can plug into the bottom of your phone and stroke your hand while you're using it.

According to a research paper released by the team, the accessory can give you a heads-up when you get a message (isn't that what ringtones are for?), can prop your phone up (again, isn't that what kickstands are for?) and can act like a handle (for what, we don't know).

It also "simulate(s) personality and emotions such as curiosity" which allows it to "move independently" by clawing its way towards you.

Sorry, but The Addams Family did it first, MobiLimb.

Teyssier wrote: "In the spirit of human augmentation, which aims at overcoming human body limitations by using robotic devices, our approach aims at overcoming mobile device limitations (static, passive, motionless) by using a robotic limb."

Plus, just to really enhance the user experience, MobiLimb have designed several different textures for their creepy finger, including the classic black "robotic shell", a fur-covered digit and the eerily realistic "finger-like" silicon skin.

"Using a humanlike skin with phone illustrates [and] changes the perception of the mobile device from an inanimate object to an 'almost' human entity," Teyssier added.

If you're still keen to watch the MobiLimb in action, be our guest.

 

10 October 2018




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