Global Courant
TOKYO – What would society look like if cyborg body parts were freely available for use like rental bicycles along the road?
Professor Masahiko Inami’s team at the University of Tokyo has tried to find out by creating wearable robotic arms.
Prof. Inami’s team is developing a series of technologies rooted in the idea of ’jizai’, a Japanese term that he says roughly means autonomy and the freedom to do as one pleases.
The goal is to promote something like the relationship between musician and instrument, “somewhere between a human being and a tool, like how a musical instrument can become part of your body”.
Prof Inami says he was inspired by traditional Japanese puppetry and a quasi-horror short story by novelist Yasunari Kawabata about a man who borrows a young woman’s arm and then spends the night with it.
“This is definitely not a rival to humans, but rather something that helps us do what we want, like a bicycle or e-bike. It supports us and can unlock creativity,” said Prof. Inami.
A promotional video for the “Jizai Arms” shows two ballet dancers performing a routine with robotic arms extending from their backs and torsos – human and machine moving in concert.
The dancers eventually embrace, including cyborg arms.
Some wearers become attached to the arms after some time, Prof. Inami said.
“Taking them off after using them for a while feels a bit sad. That’s where they’re a little bit different from other tools,” he said.
