Struggling with a zipper that won’t budge – we’ve all been there. Forgetting to pull up your fly, most of us have been there to. Those frustrating and sometimes embarrassing moments may soon be a thing of the past thanks to this – meet zipperbot – the world’s first robot specifically designed to ensure that you’re never caught with your fly down.
Zipperbot is the brainchild of Adam Whiton of the Personal Robotics Group at MIT. He says the robot represents an important step towards clothing that can self assemble.
Whiton says the technology could dramatically improve the lives of people who suffer from paralysis or amputees, giving them the ability to dress independently.
Zipperbot could also prove to be a useful tool for people working in hazard zones and infectious disease outbreak sites, giving medical staff and search and rescue teams smart protective gear that can zip on and off autonomously.
The robot is one of many technologies that are starting to shape the fast growing market of smart clothes, designed to allow users to wear the electronics they now carry in pockets and handbags.
But for now, the world will have to settle with a robotic zipper that can sense when you ate too much and adjust accordingly.
(Reuters)