There are many companies in Japan that make and produce tails that people can wear, but most of them are used for disguise or cosplay purposes. However, scientists at Keio University have built a robotic tail for humans, with a much higher ideal of perfecting the human race.
The scientists’ creative inspiration came from watching videos of monkeys that could easily climb and jump from tree to tree. Monkeys’ tails have a distinct effect, not only helping them to cling to tree branches, but also helping to change the center of gravity of their bodies for better balance and more accurate jumps.
The Arque tail helps people become more complete.
Japanese scientists named this tail Arque, which will help perfect the shortcomings of humans without a tail. Although jumping from tree branch to tree branch like monkeys is still not recommended.
The design of the tail is based on the end joints in the seahorse’s tail. It is assembled from a series of interconnected plastic vertebrae and can be customized with the number of vertebrae, corresponding to the length of the tail to suit each user.
Inside the tail are four pneumatically operated artificial muscles that can contract or expand. As a result, the tail can be steered in different directions. Due to the current design, the tail requires an external air compressor to use, but in the future scientists can change the operating mechanism and use only a small battery.
The current application of the Arque tail is to support workers or those who have to carry heavy loads. Just as an exoskeleton helps strengthen the user’s muscles, the Arque tail will create a counterbalance for the user to lift heavy objects with less force.