Human augmentation by wearable supernumerary robotic limbs: review and perspectives

Abstract

Supernumerary robotic limbs (SRLs) are wearable robots designed to enhance the sensorimotor abilities of humans. SRLs can be used to compensate for lost functions in patients with motor deficits and, more in general, to augment the sensorimotor capabilities of humans to interact with the environment. The design and control of SRLs present several challenges. SRLs must have high levels of ergonomics and wearability and, depending on the application, they might also require enhanced robustness and strength. Supernumerary robotics differs from collaborative robotics, since SRLs are not collaborative external agents but rather act under the direct command of the operator who, thanks to the use of suitable interfaces, gains the control of some actions of the SRLs. From the control point of view, it is fundamental to find the right trade-off between the degrees of freedom that are under the direct control of the user and the level of robot autonomy. The adoption of feedback interfaces can help the human to better command and use the SRL. In this review, we discuss all these aspects, relating them to the current literature on SRLs. We also present the main applications and the potential of these relatively recent devices, as well as the main neuroscientific questions they rise on the implications of their use on the users’ body schema.