US experts develop robot automatically feeds people

Researchers in the United States (US) has developed a dexterous robot arm that can automatically feed people with injuries or with age-related disabilities, according to Phys.org.

The study team, led by Siddhartha Srinivasa, Ph.D., the Boeing Endowed Professor at the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, developed a robot called the Assistive Dexterous Arm (ADA).

Initially, the study team began to monitor how real people use forks to grab food from plates and it was found that people use different methods depending on the size, shape and food texture.

The experts' team taught ADA the strategies needed to pick up food with a fork and gingerly deliver it to a person's mouth.

"The team's work is aimed at helping people who are unable to perform essential tasks live more independently. We think our technologies can help those dependent on a caregiver to feed them every day to regain some independence and control over their lives," according to Srinivasa.