A technology of Karthik Ramani, the Donald W. Feddersen Professor of Mechanical Engineering, created strong buzz at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and received one of three “Best Maker-Friendly Technology” awards.

Ziro, a hand-controlled robotics kit developed by Karthik Ramani, the Donald W. Feddersen Professor of Mechanical Engineering, made its debut at the recent 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, the largest consumer electronics event in the world.
(Photo by Oren Darling)

The device, called Ziro, is a hand-controlled robotics kit that allows users to wear a glove that connects through Bluetooth to a four-wheeled vehicle-robot. Moving one’s hand, closing one’s fingers or turning one’s palm then moves the robot forward or back and lets it turn.

“With the Ziro kit, we have designed a product that encourages unconscious learning, that makes engineering a playful endeavor full of creative potential,” Ramani says. “We have made a hard thing easy, and as a result we hope to engage more kids in engineering.”

The technology is being commercialized by Zero UI.

Ziro has been featured in coverage of CES, including The Telegraph, London Mirror, Engadet, Tom’s Guide, The Verge, and BT Group.

Other Purdue startups that presented technologies at the show were AccuPS, AddiLat, SensorHound and SPEAKMODalities.

A Big Ten Network LiveBIG video highlights an earlier version of Ziro called Handimate.