Researchers at the University of Washington are working on a robotic arm that can put pieces of food on a fork and then deliver them into a person’s mouth.

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UW says that according to census data from 2010, about 1 million adults in the U.S. have to depend on another person to help them eat.

The robotic system that’s under development at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering can make the task easier.

According to the university:

After identifying different foods on a plate, the robot can strategize how to use a fork to pick up and deliver the desired bite to a person's mouth. The idea is that this system would be attached to people's wheelchairs and feed people whatever they wanted to eat.

The robotic arm will put pieces of food into a researcher's mouth during a demonstration for media Friday afternoon.

For more information, visit the team's web page and watch a video demonstration below.

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Savannah Chrisley, daughter of former reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, speaks outside the Federal Prison Camp on May 28, 2025, in Pensacola, Fla. President Donald Trump pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were found guilty of defrauding banks out of $36 million and hiding millions in earnings to avoid paying taxes. (Dan Anderson/AP)

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