Long before we ever truly see a robotic uprising in construction, we’ll be using robotics to help augment our natural abilities. I’ve written several articles about exoskeletons, which promise to allow humans to do more with less stress than ever before, but I recently came across a concept that promises to do a little bit more.
The Supernumerary 3DOF Robotic Arm was created by a team of researchers from the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada in order to give users a third arm capable of lifting, grabbing, and swinging with some pretty substantial force.
The roughly 9 pound robotic arm straps to the users shoulders like a backpack, is strong enough to lift 11 pounds, and can swing up to 7.6 mph. The biggest drawback currently is that it has to be remotely operated by another human being, requiring 4 arms total to operate 3.
That’s not to say the device can’t be adapted to perform autonomous work in the future, it is, after all, just a proof of concept.
In the video, you can see the arm is able to be equipped with different attachments, one that can rotate and grab tools like drills and paint rollers and another than can bash a freshly sheet rocked wall to smithereens with a tiny wrecking ball hand. I can’t imagine how much you would need to trust the person operating the third arm, though, there are so many prank possibilities already running through my head.
It’s certainly got a long way to go, but if they can figure it how to make it work autonomously, how could you foresee a third arm being useful on the jobsite?
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.