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The successful experimentation points toward a new model for rehabilitation robotics, based on experiential learning.

A robotic hand. Unsplash/Possessed Photography

In a neuro-robotics lab at the University of Southern California, a small mechanical hand heard a melody for the first time and played it back in a single attempt, without any sheet music, pre-loaded scores, or weeks of supervised training and practice (via USC Viterbi ).

The system is called the Musician Hand. It has four fingers, each moved by a tendon connected to a small electric motor, mirroring how muscles actually pull tendons in a human hand. It was built by doctoral candidate Hesam Azadjou under the direction of Professor Francisco Valero-Cuevas.

WIRobotics

How did the robot actually learn?

Through a technique called “motor babbling,” the exploratory trial-and-error process by which humans learn to control their limbs.…