This robotic device helps Swiss scientists study hallucinations, in particular the hallucination of presence. It occurs in some cases in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
The device consists of two robots. The experiment participant pushes the robotic arm from the front, and the robot from behind synchronously repeats the movement, pushing the person in the back. In this case, there is no feeling that a stranger is nearby.
Parkinson’s disease has no cure, but medications can help slow its progression. The new device will help diagnose the disease at an early stage or even 10 or 20 years before it manifests itself.
More than ten million people in the world now suffer from Parkinson’s disease. Common symptoms include trembling of the limbs, loss of coordination and muscle stiffness.
