Human Augmentation

This essay explores the evolving relationship between automation, artificial intelligence, and human labor, proposing a paradigm shift from efficiency to harmony. Drawing on examples from Romanian industry and global technological trends, the text reframes automation as a collaborative infrastructure that augments human agency rather than replacing it. ERP systems, conversational AI, and robotics are presented as instruments in a contrapuntal score of productivity, where adaptability and meaning become central metrics. Romania is positioned as a strategic actor in this transition, capable of cultivating a civic proof-of-work ethos grounded in trust, competence, and creative foresight.

După opinia unor analiști din domeniul științelor sociale și în special al filozofiei și psihologiei, complexitatea vieții în secolul XXI-lea, este modelată și analizată ținând seama de o multitudine de schimbări din domeniul științei, tehnologiei și a multor domenii de activitate direct sau indirect corelate sau direct aplicate, printre care:

This paper investigates the evolving synergy between humans, extended reality (XR), and robotics in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation (AECO) sector, proposing a shift from augmentation toward cointelligent autonomy. While emerging technologies such as AI, XR, and robotics offer transformative potential for construction, they are often implemented without fully engaging human creativity, craftsmanship, and decision-making. We introduce a co-intelligent framework in which human and machine intelligences collaborate-each contributing distinct capabilities across the design-to-production continuum. Drawing from experimental prototypes and prior research, we demonstrate how XR can enhance human intuition and spatial reasoning through immersive guidance. AI and robotics support autonomy in repetitive or complex fabrication tasks. Case studies include XR-assisted steam-bending, real-time robotic training via imitation learning, and AI-driven assembly generation using generative design models. These examples highlight how humans and machines can share perception, intent, and action through mixed-reality environments. We argue that technological augmentation can democratize access to advanced fabrication by lowering the skill barrier and fostering new creative roles rather than displacing human labor. The paper offers a theoretical model for shared agency, where cognitive and physical augmentation blend with machine perception and autonomy to form a seamless co-intelligent workflow. By reimagining the architect as an orchestrator of human-machine collaboration, we propose a hybrid design ecology in which intuition, ethics, and social values remain central. This research lays the groundwork for scalable, inclusive, and adaptive architectural practices responsive to the evolving nature of work, technology, and the built environment.

This paper examines the evolving relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Intelligence (HI), arguing that their integration is producing a new paradigm of hybrid intelligence with the potential to give rise to a "Superhuman Race." The discussion proceeds in three stages. First, it explores the symbiotic relationship between AI and HI, highlighting their complementary strengths and the conditions under which they produce superior outcomes. Second, it considers how this symbiosis may result in cognitive and societal transformations that approximate a new stage of human evolution. Finally, it analyzes the risks of class stratification and geopolitical reconfiguration, proposing strategies to prevent an "us versus them" divide between enhanced and traditional humans and between augmented and unaugmented nations. The paper concludes that the future of intelligence will be defined not by rivalry but by collaboration-yet this outcome depends on ethical stewardship, inclusive governance, and recognition of shared humanity.

This document presents the Cerebro-Vital Support System (CVSS), a modular synthetic life support platform engineered to sustain the human brain independently of the biological body. CVSS includes subsystems for circulation, gas exchange, immune defense, and neural interface, structured for long-term survivability, modularity, and ethical continuity. This whitepaper outlines the core design and operational principles, and is adapted from Unbound: A Blueprint for Human Continuance (Horodyski, 2025).

Stroke is estimated to affect about 5,500,000 people annually worldwide, with 60-80% of survivors left with unilateral weakness in their extremities. Other diseases and accidents also contribute to limited mobility and paralysis for millions of patients worldwide. This paper presents the design of a wearable glove that has the capability to curl, extend and resist finger movement by providing forces similar to those produced by agonist and antagonist muscles. The aim of the device is to assist with physical rehabilitation while also providing haptic feedback to the patient. This is achieved by utilizing a pneumatic soft robotic actuation system to provide the curling force (agonistic movement) and a tendon-based pulley system to provide the opposing force (antagonistic movement). This technological choice allows for flexibility as well as gentle, soft feeling of the device, reducing the chances of injury during the rehabilitation process. The design aims to enrich existing physical rehabilitation repetitive motion training routines, utilizing haptic feedback and limiting the range of finger curling utilizing simulated tendons.

As we go deeper into the twenty-first century, there is a major trend to improve the body with "cyborg technology." In fact, due to medical necessity, millions of people around the world are now equipped with prosthetic devices to restore lost function, and the DIY movement is growing to improve the body to create new senses or to improve current senses "beyond normal". From prosthetic limbs, artificial cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, brain-computer implants, cochlear implants, retinal prostheses, magnets as implants, exoskeletons and many other improvements, the human body becomes more mechanical and computational, and therefore less biological. This trend will continue to accelerate once the body is transformed into information processing technology, which ultimately calls one's sense of identity and what it means to be human. This article evaluates "cyborg enhancement technologies" with an emphasis on technological brain enhancements and t...

1,2,3,4 Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Christ Deemed to be University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India ----------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------Abstract Researchers and scientists alike have been searching for inexpensive, robust, and a comparable substitute which integrate the functionality, compliance, versatility, and strength of human arms. Some measure of progress has been achieved in case of metal or alloy made prostheses or orthotics, composite layered bionic arms etc. However these models are hard to design and costly to make. Also, though they exhibit excellent strength characteristics their range of movements is to a major degree constrained and limited. In lieu of such difficulties, the largely untapped area of soft robotic elements offers a feasible and viable solution. Materials such as soft elastomer and rubbers on integration with other available materials s...

This paper develops a robotic manipulation planner for human-robot collaborative assembly. Unlike previous methods which study an independent and fully AI-equipped autonomous system, this paper explores the subtask distribution between a robot and a human and studies a human-in-the-loop robotic system for collaborative assembly. The system distributes the subtasks of an assembly to robots and humans by exploiting their advantages and avoiding their disadvantages. The robot in the system will work on pick-and-place tasks and provide workpieces to humans. The human collaborator will work on fine operations like aligning, fixing, screwing, etc. A constraintbased incremental manipulation planning method is proposed to generate the motion for the robots. The performance of the proposed system is demonstrated by asking a human and the dual-arm robot to collaboratively assemble a cabinet. The results showed that the proposed system and planner are effective, efficient, and can assist humans in finishing the assembly task comfortably. Note to Practitioners-This paper was motivated by assembling a cabinet. The assembling process involves several pick-and-place, reorientation, regrasp, alignment, peg-in-hole, and screwing subtasks. The system distributes these subtasks to robots and humans by exploiting their advantages and avoiding their disadvantages. The robot used is a dual-arm robots with two parallel grippers. Thus, a suction cup tool is used for the pick-and-place of thin objects. Soft-finger contact constraints are considered to assure safe manipulation. Human ergonomics are included as a quality for optimizing the handover between robot arms and robot and human. The proposed planner and system show satisfying user experience and expedite the cabinet assembly. It is expected to help relax the labor-intensive manufacturing process in the future.

Emerging artificial intelligence capabilities are predicted to have a significant impact on practically all aspects of organizational activities, including knowledge management. This article investigates the opportunities that result from incorporating AI-powered technologies into knowledge management. It investigates how AI may help with important knowledge management operations such as knowledge production, storage and retrieval, sharing, and applications. The essay also provides practical techniques for increasing collaboration between humans and AI to improve knowledge management activities within enterprises. It also provides insights on the development and management of AI systems, with an emphasis on people, infrastructure, and processes. (KM

As we go deeper into the twenty-first century, there is a major trend to improve the body with "cyborg technology." In fact, due to medical necessity, millions of people around the world are now equipped with prosthetic devices to restore lost function, and the DIY movement is growing to improve the body to create new senses or to improve current senses "beyond normal". From prosthetic limbs, artificial cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, brain-computer implants, cochlear implants, retinal prostheses, magnets as implants, exoskeletons and many other improvements, the human body becomes more mechanical and computational, and therefore less biological. This trend will continue to accelerate once the body is transformed into information processing technology, which ultimately calls one's sense of identity and what it means to be human. This article evaluates "cyborg enhancement technologies" with an emphasis on technological brain enhancements and t...

The advent of augmentation technology presents a transformative challenge: the metamorphosis of the human user into a cyber-human, that is to say, a human/machine hybrid. This article maintains that a significant portion of the ongoing discourse concerning the ethical implications of augmentative technology is shaped by a "neurocentric" bias. We propose a reorganization of the current debate that prioritizes the embodied subject.

This paper presents two human-robot cooperative application scenarios of the project MeRoSy (Human-Robot Synergy) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The first scenario relates to the human-robot cooperation in an industrial application, while the second one refers to the robotic workplace assistance for people with disabilities. The presented scenarios reflect different aspects of human-robot interaction, among others different novel possibilities for human-robot interaction depending on different physical abilities of human co-worker. Beside the consideration of the human-robot cooperative technologies in two MeRoSy scenarios, this paper considers also the identification and classification of the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) in the context of human-robot cooperation.

During the last decade, soft robotic systems, such as actuators and grippers, have been employed in various commercial applications. Due to the need to integrate robotic mechanisms into devices operating alongside humans, soft robotic systems concentrate increased scientific interest in tasks with intense human–robot interaction, especially for human-exoskeleton applications. Human exoskeletons are usually utilized for assistance and rehabilitation of patients with mobility disabilities and neurological disorders. Towards this direction, a fully functional soft robotic hand exoskeleton system was designed and developed, utilizing innovative air-pressurized soft actuators fabricated via additive manufacturing technologies. The CE-certified system consists of a control glove that copies the motion from the healthy hand and passes the fingers configuration to the exoskeleton applied on the affected hand, which consists of a soft exoskeleton glove (SEG) controlled with the assistance of...

Issue 23 of Im@go is dedicated to exploring the imaginary and symbolic dimensions of Artificial Intelligence (AI), examining its mythic-symbolic foundations and the profound, transformative role it plays in this epochal shift. While AI promises remarkable advancements, it also presents unpredictable risks, as noted by experts such as Bostrom (2014) and Suleyman (2023). As AI continues to progress rapidly, its societal impact is widespread, affecting fields like education, art, medicine, and labor, and prompting urgent discussions about its regulation and societal implications.

This issue argues that, beyond examining AI’s tangible effects, it’s essential to understand the mythical and symbolic narratives that shape its development. Such narratives not only drive the acceptance and legitimation of AI but also reveal deeper socio-cultural meanings. AI’s interplay with the imaginary is critical, as it coexists with and influences societal change, shaping our understanding of intelligence, creativity, and reality.

As acknowledged by scholars and practitioners, the rise of artificial intelligence and cyber-physical systems has led to a shift from the third to the fourth industrial revolution. Knowledge management as a discipline evolved in the late twentieth century, reflecting the increasing importance of knowledge as a resource in the knowledge-economy era. This chapter explores how organizations manage their knowledge in the fourth industrial revolution, which arguably should differ from how they did in the 1990s. The paper will begin by identifying the major characteristics of the four industrial revolutions. It will then delve into organizations' strategies for managing knowledge during the third industrial revolution. Subsequently, alternative knowledge management strategies will be highlighted to address the changes brought about by the fourth industrial revolution. We claim that organizations might decide to prioritize augmentation or automation, or we propose an organic relationship between both, calling for another approach to managing knowledge: DeParadoxication. By reviewing relevant literature, this chapter proposes a theoretical framework for knowledge management in the twenty-first century.

As acknowledged by scholars and practitioners, the rise of artificial intelligence and cyber-physical systems has led to a shift from the third to the fourth industrial revolution. Knowledge management as a discipline evolved in the late twentieth century, reflecting the increasing importance of knowledge as a resource in the knowledge-economy era. This chapter explores how organizations manage their knowledge in the fourth industrial revolution, which arguably should differ from how they did in the 1990s. The paper will begin by identifying the major characteristics of the four industrial revolutions. It will then delve into organizations' strategies for managing knowledge during the third industrial revolution. Subsequently, alternative knowledge management strategies will be highlighted to address the changes brought about by the fourth industrial revolution. We claim that organizations might decide to prioritize augmentation or automation, or we propose an organic relationship between both, calling for another approach to managing knowledge: DeParadoxication. By reviewing relevant literature, this chapter proposes a theoretical framework for knowledge management in the twenty-first century.

We present an analytical solution for the inverse kinematics (IK) of a robotic arm with one prismatic joint and four revolute joints. This 5-DoF design is a result of minimizing weight while preserving functionality of the device in a wearable usage context. Generally, the IK problem for a 5-DoF robot does not guarantee solutions due to the system being over-constrained. We obtain an analytical solution by applying geometric projections and limiting the ranges of motion for each DoF. We validate this solution by reconstructing randomly sampled end-effector poses, and find position errors below 2 cm and orientation errors below 4°.

The Augmented Human is the latest representation of a technologically augmented human condition. The focus is on implantable or wearable information technology that enhances our bodily subjectivity. This paper examines a fundamental conceptualization of technological augmentation, namely, the supplementation of the bodily subject through technology. This is achieved through the lens of the nascent discipline of synthetic phenomenology, which highlights the role of technology in enabling the emergence of novel forms of subjective sensemaking. The paper is organized into three sections. First, it presents a reconstruction of the conceptual background of the augmented bodily subject within the broader context of related paradigms of information research and innovation. The reconstruction presents a contrast between two conceptualizations: supplementation and replacement. Secondly, the paper introduces and contextualizes synthetic phenomenology within the broader landscape of contemporary philosophical contributions to the field of the Augmented Human. Subsequently, a case study of sensory supplementation is presented, namely biomimetic prosthetic vision. The case study was selected based on two considerations: the central role played by visual perception in the formation and codification of synthetic phenomenology as an autonomous discipline, and the increasing expansion of biomimetic prosthetics as a domain of technology-supplemented bodily subjectivity.

Intelligent machines are increasingly being used to restore and augment the user’s body. The restorative or augmentative nature of implantable chips, bionic limbs, biomimetic organs, neuroprostheses, etc., has been interpreted in many ways (see, among others, de Vignemont 2024). There are two basic ways of approaching the question of technological restoration and augmentation of the human body. The first way emphasizes the aspect of replacement. Sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) can, at least ideally, replace existing motor, sensory, and body-related subjective abilities of the human user. This approach, which I call ‘body replacement’, builds on a conventional interpretation of computing as an artificial activity that uses human-made machines to process information in digital form. The second way sees computing as an activity inherent in the natural body that can be used by humans to create nature-inspired intelligent machines. In the so-called natural computing perspective (Adamatzky 2017), AI complements the human body by enhancing human bodily capabilities (‘body supplementation’). In this article, I present and discuss the two approaches, namely body replacement and body augmentation, following a case study strategy. The so-called neuro-reality (Houser 2017), generated by an advanced brain-computer interface (nanometric brain chips receive signals with ‘single-neuron resolution’ and transmit them wirelessly to extracorporeal computers or smartphones. See Drew 2024), is analyzed as a relevant case of body replacement. On the other hand, neuroprosthetics, especially visual neuroprostheses (implantable medical devices capable of reactivating visual neurons through electrical stimulation. For details, see Borda and Ghezzi 2022), are studied as a highly informative example of the supplementation of the user’s body by intelligent machines. The analysis of the case study brings to light the philosophical underpinnings of both the replacement and augmentation approaches to restorative and augmentative technology. Body replacement is found to be informed by a radical functionalism, according to which bodily states are identified by their functional role, i.e. by 'what they do'. Otherwise, material constituents are centralized through bodily supplementation. To understand what bodily states are, you have to look at what they are made of. What kind of representation of the human being is supported by the replacement and the suppletive approach?

Recent research defines augmented cognition as a form of human-computer interaction where there is a tight coupling between the user and the computer achieved through physiological sensing of the user's cognitive state. This paper investigates current works in the field of augmented cognition by design and analytical tools that integrate the physiological response of the user to the straightforward visual task. The cognitive response and the baseline estimate of the physiological response can be analysed standalone in a single all-in-one process. The physiological parameters can also be accessed in real-time and help to analyse and detect stress points immediately in an instant design decision.

In the book, I present fundamental problems for private law related to human technological enhancement. The combination of man and machine, especially when controlled by artificial intelligence, raises questions about subjectivity, the status of the human body, participation in civil law, and civil liability.  It is necessary to develop the assumptions of a new cyborg law.

From the  book:
“Therefore, it is not just that in certain situations an act (statement) may no longer be attributed to a person (making an allegation, linking legal consequences), but that such human behaviours may reasonably be attributed to the action of a machine (algorithm) that is integrated with the body (or, more generally, influences the functioning of the body). This would make a human being merely a messenger, a transmitter of the will of another entity.” “With increasing cyborgisation, it will be impossible—without proper digital identification—to determine the parameters of a given human being that will affect the extent of their social rights and obligations. Only by knowing the “nameplate”, which states, for example, whether a person is permanently connected to the internet or digitally records all impulses perceived by the senses, will it be possible to establish the conditions under which entering into civil law relations with such a person may be deemed conscious and correct. As a result, the law will be personalised and every individual will have their tailored, personal statute, which will determine their position in the market.” „Clearly, regardless of the nature of AI integration with humans, it will perform a subservient function, and it is only in this context that its status can be analysed. (...) However, the symbiosis with machines, which by virtue of their autonomy must be considered as something more than mere automatons serving to convey human will, must lead to a constant coupling and a kind of looping of the two entities, the external effect of which is the homogeneity of the decision obtained.”

In construction sites, most of manual works require at least two workers cooperating each other to complete a task properly. If it is possible to make a single worker carry out these kinds of tasks with the assistance of a robot, the overall construction efficiency can be increased. This study deals with the application of a supernumerary robotic limb (SRL) to the construction tasks. In this paper, two typical construction tasks that can be improved by supports of SRL are considered. One includes the tasks that require a worker to hold an object like a panel in a desired position with an appropriate force while the other worker finishes main processes. The other contains moving or holding construction materials which are difficult to be held by one hand not because of its weight but because of its shape or size. For the first case, the SRL that sits on shoulder or waist with position based force controller can be utilized. For the second case, the robotic limb should be able to assist the worker in holding and balancing the object while the one carries it with one hand. As for the case studies, two types of extra robotic limbs were used. One was mounted on the shoulder and the other was attached on the wrist. Both types were applied in the situation of ceiling works in different ways. From many experiments, it was shown that the SRL can be effectively utilized in construction sites for diverse works.

In this talk I raise the question of why, when humanity has endured centuries of radical technological changes to its fundamental values and practices, we do not reflectively find ourselves in a technological dystopia. Our ancestors certainly might look at our current forms of human life and fid them dystopian.  I argue that technological change causes a kind of moral "recalibration", and that as a consequence technological change always seems on the verge of inaugurating a dystopia that never quite arrives.

The central question that this chapter addresses is: Is Transhumanism a threat, or a benefit, to the good human life? One can imagine any answer landing somewhere between two poles: a utopian view, which generally sees Transhuman proposals as enhancements to human living that would lead to better lives and a better world; and a dystopian view, which sees these changes as fundamentally destructive of the good life. I show that one cannot view a Transhuman future as simply either good or bad. One's view must, instead, fall not between, but outside, these two poles.

For individuals who have some type of physical mobility problem, they need rehabilitation tools that replace their limb capabilities or assistive devices that enhance their limb functions. While for most people, assistive robotic arms can be used as additional limbs to help them perform operations that cannot be conducted with one hand, extending the functional range of the human arm, such as grasping objects at heights. In this paper, a wearable forearm assistive robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom is studied and constructed with various types of lightweight materials and is mainly composed of three parts: a mechanical arm telescoping part, a mechanical claw part and a wearing part. The interaction is carried out by button through arduino design program. The performance of this robotic arm is investigated through experiments as well as controls in the grasping and assisted handover scenarios.

For individuals who have some type of physical mobility problem, they need rehabilitation tools that replace their limb capabilities or assistive devices that enhance their limb functions. While for most people, assistive robotic arms can be used as additional limbs to help them perform operations that cannot be conducted with one hand, extending the functional range of the human arm, such as grasping objects at heights. In this paper, a wearable forearm assistive robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom is studied and constructed with various types of lightweight materials and is mainly composed of three parts: a mechanical arm telescoping part, a mechanical claw part and a wearing part. The interaction is carried out by button through arduino design program. The performance of this robotic arm is investigated through experiments as well as controls in the grasping and assisted handover scenarios.

Collaborative robots promise to add flexibility to production cells thanks to the fact that they can work not only close to humans but also with humans. The possibility of a direct physical interaction between humans and robots allows to perform operations that were inconceivable with industrial robots. Collaborative soft grippers have been recently introduced to extend this possibility beyond the robot end-effector, making humans able to directly act on robotic hands. In this work, we propose to exploit collaborative grippers in a novel paradigm in which these devices can be easily attached and detached from the robot arm and used also independently from it. This is possible only with self-powered hands, that are still quite uncommon in the market. In the presented paradigm not only hands can be attached/detached to/from the robot end-effector as if they were simple tools, but they can also remain active and fully functional after detachment. This ensures all the advantages brought...

Augmenting the human hand with robotic extra fingers is a cutting-edge research topic and has many potential applications, in particular as a compensatory and rehabilitation tool for patients with upper limb impairments. Devices composed of two extra fingers are preferred with respect to single finger devices when reliable grasps, resistance to external disturbances, and higher payloads are required. Underactuation and compliance are design choices that can reduce the device complexity and weight, maintaining the adaptability to different grasped objects. When only one motor is adopted to actuate multiple fingers, a differential mechanism is necessary to decouple finger movements and distribute forces. In this paper, the main features of a wearable device composed of two robotic extra fingers are described and analyzed in terms of kinematics, statics, and mechanical resistance. Each finger is composed of modular phalanges and is actuated with a single tendon. Interphalangeal joints ...

h i g h l i g h t s • The principle of working of AFPA or ABFPA is based on an anti-Bourdon tube principle. • Asymmetric actuators give bending performance better than the symmetric actuators. • Asymmetric actuators can be bent in any direction by rotating the actuator itself that direction. • The fingers are made with 2 DOF whereas the general soft hand has 1 DOF in one finger. • The dynamic modeling will offer an insight into the dynamic system to design a soft robot.

Articolul explorează relația complexă dintre transumanism și fenomenologie în filozofia contemporană, evidențiind evoluția gândirii filozofice despre tehnologie și implicațiile acesteia asupra umanității. Abordând teme precum augmentarea cibernetică și impactul tehnologiei asupra identității umane, articolul subliniază importanța fenomenologiei în înțelegerea experienței umane în contextul tehnologic.

Se subliniază preocupările etice și sociale contemporane privind tehnologia, inclusiv aspecte precum confidențialitatea datelor și inegalitățile sociale generate de inovații tehnologice. Articolul concluzionează că filozofia oferă orientări pentru o dezvoltare responsabilă a tehnologiei, având în vedere provocările și oportunitățile aduse de progresul tehnologic.

The importance of data has increased in the last century and these days it is an essential resource for any human activity as well as a vital component for our society. The use of AI is a major improvement in handling these data, the amount of which is becoming enormous. In a regulatory perspective, AI applications have an impact on the social and economic structure and the rights and values on which it is based upon. This paper is a crucial step on the path of building a consensus on the legal hypostasis of AI. It is our belief that unforeseeable and ground-breaking AI applications can be regulatorily tackled with respect to energy law.

This paper addresses the gap between familiar popular narratives describing Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as the trope of the killer robot, and the realistic near-future implications of machine intelligence and automation for technology policy and society. The authors conducted a series of interviews with technologists, science fiction writers, and other experts, as well as a workshop, to identify a set of key themes relevant to the near future of AI. In parallel, they led the analysis of almost 100 recent works of science fiction stories with AI themes to develop a preliminary taxonomy of AI in science fiction. These activities informed the commissioning of six original works of science fiction and non-fiction response essays on the themes of “intelligence” and “justice” that were published as part of the Slate Future Tense Fiction series in 2019 and 2020. Our findings indicate that artificial intelligence remains deeply ambiguous both in the policy and cultural contexts: we s...

Introduction Dangerous development of AI? Artificiality of human intelligence? Authenticity of human intelligence? Test for "artificiality" complementary to the Turing Test for "humanity" Human augmentation and acquisition of artificial characteristics? Relative "inhumanity" of humans compared to AI in the future? Human intelligence as characterized by "muddling through"? Being "only human" as primary characteristic of "humanity"? Dangerous enhancement of cognitive abilities? Human augmentation versus Psychosocial development? Conventional methodologies and "project logic" Ineffectual application of psychosocial insights? Problematic regulation and oversight Remedial potential and dangers of cyborgization and transhumanism Humanity framed by implication of AI for religion and ethical systems? Implication of AI for global ethics, interfaith reconciliation and interdisciplinarity Artificiality of human constructs and disengagement of intelligence therefrom? Superficiality of humanity as currently conceived? Nesting polyhedral configurations within cosmograms and "cosmohedra"

Teleoperated robotics in recent years has proven to be valuable support in EOD tasks; a remarkable improvement in the systems that control these robots has been the Natural User Interfaces (NUI); however, the research that implements this type of system does not focus on the stability of the robotic arm movements, necessary for this type of applications due to the danger of working with explosives. In this paper, we propose the implementation of an Optimal Signal Processing for a NUI interface based on the Leap Motion (LM) controller. The main objective of this research is to correctly identify the intentional movements of the operator, achieve high stability of the robotic gripper and suppress the physiological tremors from the hand of the operator, considering not to increase the mental workload and not decrease the usability of the system. The signal processing proposed in this paper is composed of three filtering algorithms: Kalman, FIR, and moving average with a threshold. In addition, the obtained results are compared with the most representative processing of recent research using LM for robotic arm control. To evaluate and validate the proposed signal processing, a target path tracking test, a stability analysis of the robotic gripper, and a performance analysis in the execution of Pick and Place tasks, NASA-TLX and SUS questionnaires are developed. Finally, the proposed Optimal Signal processing is implemented in the DOBOT-MAGICIAN and tested by police officers of the EOD Unit-Arequipa (UDEX-AQP); the results indicate a reduction of the average Vibration of 31.61% and the Target Path Tracking error of 67.57%.

Soft robotic devices have been popular in handling intricate grasping and dexterous manipulation tasks, serving as an alternative to conventional, rigid end-effectors. These devices are relatively simple, lightweight, and cost-effective. Recently, kirigami based structures have been used to create low-cost and disposable soft robotic grippers and hands. These grippers undergo a complex post-contact reconfiguration and conform to an object's shape and size during grasping. In this paper, we explore this new class of soft robotic grippers by utilising them for single-grasp object classification and grasping force estimation. We install simplistic sensors on both the gripper and the actuation system to estimate the state of the kirigami gripper, and the collected data features are employed to train Random Forest models for identifying the grasped object. The classifier trained exhibits a high accuracy of 98% in discriminating objects of various shapes. When handling food items, the classifier achieves an accuracy of 94%, while in classifying transparent objects, the classifier obtained again a high accuracy of 97%. Finally, object-specific force estimation models are triggered based on the classification decision of the Random Forest model to estimate the grasping force exerted by the gripper. These positive outcomes demonstrate the kirigami based robotic gripper's potential for object classification in a variety of circumstances, particularly where vision systems are not available or not reliable.

The advent of collaborative industrial and household robotics has blurred the demarcation between the human and robot workspace. The capability of robots to function efficiently alongside humans requires new research to be conducted in dynamic environments as opposed to the traditional wellstructured laboratory. In this work, we propose an efficient skill transfer methodology comprising intuitive interfaces, efficient optical tracking systems, and compliant control of robotic armhand systems. The lightweight wearable interfaces mounted with robotic grippers and hands allow the execution of dexterous activities in dynamic environments without restricting human dexterity. The fiducial and reflective markers mounted on the interfaces facilitate the extraction of positional and rotational information allowing efficient trajectory tracking. As the tasks are performed using the mounted grippers and hands, gripper state information can be directly transferred. The hardware-agnostic nature and efficiency of the proposed interfaces and skill transfer methodology are demonstrated through the execution of complex tasks that require increased dexterity, writing and drawing.

Editorial on the Research Topic Robotic Grasping and Manipulation of Deformable Objects In most robotics applications the physical interaction between the robot and the environment is a fundamental feature. In this context, the ability to grasp and manipulate objects with robotic systems and devices in a safe and robust way has been an important and challenging Research Topic in robotics for at least five decades. This ability is particularly important when high performance is required and/or when complex tasks need to be executed in a dynamic and unstructured environment. The problem has been traditionally modeled quasi-statically by considering ideal conditions that allow its representation as a standard multibody system, in which both the manipulator links and the object are rigid bodies, robot joints are ideal, contacts are defined as points, friction can be described using simple models, etc. All these assumptions allowed managing the problem with simple mathematical models that can be used in the design of robotic devices, as well as in the development. Of the required sensing system and control strategies for the execution of complex tasks. Nowadays, robots are increasingly spreading outside of rigid and structured industrial production cells to dynamically changing environments which may include humans, opening a wide set of new applications and challenges, in which the objects manipulated by the robots (e.g., fruits and vegetables, fabric, etc.) and even the robotic structures themselves are made of compliant materials, have uncertain shapes and positions, and can undergo large, complex deformations when a force is applied to them. In these cases, the clear and well-defined modeling assumptions mentioned earlier cannot be applied. Robots are required to interact with deformable objects in several industrial and production environments, for instance, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, as well as interactive robotic applications, such as robotic surgery, household robotics and rehabilitation robotics, to name a few. In this Research Topic, we focus on the interesting and still open research challenge of grasping and manipulating deformable objects. The problems include: 1) modeling and estimation of a manipulated object's shape when deformed, 2) estimation of an object's material properties, such as elasticity and plasticity, 3) object tracking and state estimation during manipulation,4) gripper design that exploit softness and adaptability to avoid object or robot damage, 5) robot perception and sensor systems for

Robot grasping and manipulation allow robots to interact with their environments and execute a plethora of complex tasks that require increased dexterity (e.g., open a door, push buttons, collect and transpose objects, etc.). Collecting data of such activities is of paramount importance as it allows roboticists to create new methods and models that will facilitate the execution of sophisticated tasks. In this paper, we propose new wearable, lightweight, low-cost human machine interfaces that improve the efficiency of the data collection process for both robotic grasping and manipulation by offering intuitive and simplified control of the employed robotic grippers and hands. In particular, two different types of interfaces are proposed: i) a handle-based forearm stabilized interface that uses a waist-linkage system to provide weight support for bulky and heavy robotic end-effectors and ii) a palm-mounted interface that can accommodate smaller and lightweight grippers and hands, offering more agility in the control and positioning of these devices. Both interfaces are equipped with appropriate sliders, joysticks, and buttons that facilitate the control of the multiple degrees of freedom of the employed end-effectors and appropriate cameras that allow for object detection, identification, and object pose estimation.

Lightweight robotic manipulators can be used to restore the manipulation capability of people with a motor disability. However, manipulating the environment poses a complex task, especially when the control interface is of low bandwidth, as may be the case for users with impairments. Therefore, we propose a constraint-based shared control scheme to define skills which provide support during task execution. This is achieved by representing a skill as a sequence of states, with specific user command mappings and different sets of constraints being applied in each state. New skills are defined by combining different types of constraints and conditions for state transitions, in a human-readable format. We demonstrate its versatility in a pilot experiment with three activities of daily living. Results show that even complex, high-dimensional tasks can be performed with a low-dimensional interface using our shared control approach.

Stiffness-adjustable snake-like robots have been proposed for various applications, including minimally invasive surgery. Based on a variable neutral-line mechanism, previous works proposed a class of snake-like robots that can adjust their stiffness by changing the driving cables’ tensions. A constant curvature hypothesis was used to formulate such robots’ kinematics and was further verified by our previous work via rigorous force analysis and ADAMS simulations. However, all these models and analyses have ignored the effect of the robot links’ gravity, resulting in significant errors in real systems. In this paper, a static model considering gravity compensation is proposed for the stiffness-adjustable snake-like robots. The proposed model adopts a nonlinear Gauss–Seidel iteration scheme and consists of two parts: gravity update and pose estimation. In each iteration, the former updates the payload of each link caused by gravity, and the latter estimates the pose of the robot by re...

Smart textiles are garments with integrated sensors and actuators which have a large potential of being beneficial in our future society. These textiles can monitor our health condition during daily life, remind us to do some extra fitness activities or warn us when our blood pressure is too high or when our heart beating becomes irregular. They can be used in hospitals for the continuous monitoring of patients but also to help soldiers navigating the dark and athletes to optimize their performance.

Contact modeling between a soft robot and its environment is challenging due to soft robots' compliance and the difficulty of embedding sensors. Current modeling methods are computationally expensive and require highly accurate material characterization to produce useful results. In this article, we present a contact model that utilizes linear complementarity and Hencky bar-chain methods, and requires only static images to efficiently predict the interaction between actuator and environment. These methods have yet to be introduced to the soft robotics community for modeling robots that deform due to eigenstrains or strains not caused by external forces. We validated our model using a custom experimental setup and computer vision algorithm on 3-mm OD, 90-mm long, tube-like actuators. Our results indicated a 1.06% difference in shape between model and experiment, with computation times in 10 s of ms-three to four orders of magnitude faster than nonlinear gradient descent. Additionally, the error in interaction forces between the model and experiment decreased as pressure increased, with an average error magnitude of 45% and 21% for pressures at the low and high ends of the tested range, respectively.

Nonverbal information can be used to convey emotions. In some cases, we can read emotions from changes in the other person's facial expressions. However, the facial expression is not transmitted to other people in some cases. To address this issue, a glasses-type device with pseudo eyebrows that change eyebrow's thickness and angle was used in the previous research to facilitate the transmission of emotions to others. The device is charging type and cannot be used easily and cannot work for one day. In this study, we use "SUGO-MIMI," a lightweight device that does not require a power source to extend facial expressions by eyebrow movements. The SUGO-MIMI extends the eyebrow movements by connecting the eyebrows to thin plates imitating cat ears attached to the headband with wires and linking the eyebrows' movement to the plates. The eyebrow movement is extended. Thus, the emotions of joy, anger, and sorrow can be emphasized. As a result of analyzing the facial expressions of the subjects that watch videos of a person who wears the SUGO-MIMI using the Microsoft Face API, we obtained that the SUGO-MIMI can amplify some emotions and that women tended to have more positive impressions of the SUGO-MIMI than men.

We 1 present a novel signaling method for head-mounted displays, which surpasses eye (pupil) and delivers guiding light signals directly to retina through tissue near the eyes. is method preserves full visual acuity on the display and does not block view to the scene, while also delivering additional visual signals. CCS CONCEPTS • Human-centered computing ➝ Displays and imagers • Interface design prototyping • Gestural input • Computing methodologies ➝ Mixed / augmented reality • Virtual reality • Hardware ➝ Displays and imagers

Human augmentation is a field of research that aims to enhance human abilities through medicine or technology. This has historically been achieved by consuming chemical substances that improve a selected ability or by installing implants which require medical operations. Both of these methods of augmentation can be invasive. Augmented abilities have also been achieved with external tools, such as eyeglasses, binoculars, microscopes or highly sensitive microphones. Lately, augmented reality and multimodal interaction technologies have enabled non-invasive ways to augment human. In this article, we first discuss the field and related terms. We provide relevant definitions based on the present understanding of the field. This is followed by a summary of existing work in augmented senses, action, and cognition. Our contribution to the future includes a model for wearable augmentation. In addition, we present a call for research to realize this vision. Then, we discuss future human abilities. Wearable technologies may act as mediators for human augmentation, in the same manner as eyeglasses once revolutionized human vision. Non-invasive and easy-to-use wearable extensions will enable lengthening the active life for aging citizens or supporting the full inclusion of people with special needs in society, but there are also potential problems. Therefore, we conclude by discussing ethical and societal issues: privacy, social manipulation, autonomy and side effects, accessibility, safety and balance, and unpredictable future.

The Facebook case of shutting down Artificial Intelligence (AI), which was able to create its own language, worried many people because it had far-reaching consequences for human life, inspiring the establishment of a non-profit company Open AI which aims to avoid misuse of AI in the world. This article is based on normative legal research that refers to secondary data. Data collection, processing, and analysis are carried out qualitatively using the Miles and Huberman models. The paradox that accompanies the development of technology, especially robots with AI capabilities needs to be taken seriously by the executive, legislative, judicial and legal academics. With the ability to learn and make decisions, AI robots can decide for themselves various actions that will be taken out of their owner's control. There is a shift in the treatment of AI robots that are seen as legal objects (goods), then equated with pets, treated as legal subjects as well as humans and legal entities. While the regulation on that, is not immediately sought, so the existence of AI robots is in a grey area. The fact is that AI robots are able to develop their own communication systems that are not understood by their creators, as happened in the case of Facebook. This requires all components to reorganize human relations with God, fellow living beings and products of human creation in a set of legal and social rules for the survival of humanity itself.

Teleoperated robotics in recent years has proven to be valuable support in EOD tasks; a remarkable improvement in the systems that control these robots has been the Natural User Interfaces (NUI); however, the research that implements this type of system does not focus on the stability of the robotic arm movements, necessary for this type of applications due to the danger of working with explosives. In this paper, we propose the implementation of an Optimal Signal Processing for a NUI interface based on the Leap Motion (LM) controller. The main objective of this research is to correctly identify the intentional movements of the operator, achieve high stability of the robotic gripper and suppress the physiological tremors from the hand of the operator, considering not to increase the mental workload and not decrease the usability of the system. The signal processing proposed in this paper is composed of three filtering algorithms: Kalman, FIR, and moving average with a threshold. In addition, the obtained results are compared with the most representative processing of recent research using LM for robotic arm control. To evaluate and validate the proposed signal processing, a target path tracking test, a stability analysis of the robotic gripper, and a performance analysis in the execution of Pick and Place tasks, NASA-TLX and SUS questionnaires are developed. Finally, the proposed Optimal Signal processing is implemented in the DOBOT-MAGICIAN and tested by police officers of the EOD Unit-Arequipa (UDEX-AQP); the results indicate a reduction of the average Vibration of 31.61% and the Target Path Tracking error of 67.57%.