A novel shoulder-mounted robotic arm, the Supernumerary Robotic Limb (SRL), is introduced. It is designed to assist workers in manufacturing and related activities, aiming to augment the wearer's capabilities.

The SRL is demonstrated in an aircraft manufacturing setting, specifically assembling an overhead compartment. This task typically requires multiple workers but can now be completed by a single technician with the SRL supporting the compartment, offering consistent force and direction.

The robot's stability against dynamic disturbances and stiff structures is highlighted. This stability is achieved through onboard filtering, accurate force data, and damped least squares inverse kinematics. A simple admittance controller allows the robot to compensate for the wearer's movements.

A demonstration shows the robot arm pointing along a fixed x-axis while the wearer moves. The SRL senses the changing posture and remains aligned with the world coordinate system, rather than the human body's coordinates.

The worker uses the SRL to hold a 5-pound weight. The control loop compensates for the mass, making the tool feel weightless and allowing the wearer's input force to command robot movement effortlessly.

The SRL can also support a human worker in prone or kneeling positions, which are common in manufacturing. This frees the technician's hands to perform tasks without needing to support their own weight.