A High-Speed Robot Arm That Snatches Objects Out of Mid-Air

Major League Baseball probably has n’t even considered the idea of allowing teams to sum up hokey participant to their rosters . But games would sure be a lot more excitingif this EPFL arm — that can react in less than five hundredths of a second to get an physical object — were to take the field .

The golem arm seems particularly well suited to sports applications since it does n’t want hours of scheduling to instruct it how to make a arrest . Instead , its creators have develop a system where the weapon can be move in real meter by a human who teaches it how to catch a tossed object . Once it ’s catch the fundamental principle down , the arm can utilise its photographic camera - based tracking systems to refine its movements and snatch up flip objects before they hit the ground .

The inquiry behind the sleeve can be utilise to more than just sports , though . In fact , the robot ’s mellow - f number reflexes could be utilitarian in everything from factories — where they can facilitate protect human workers — to self-reliant vehicle that could react and avert an chance event in the wink of an eye .