It's being reported late today that Apple has just hired former co-founder of Google's X Lab and former head of technology at Nest Yoky Matsuoka. The famed Matsuoka who developed the BarrettHand, a revolutionary robotic arm will be joining Apple's Health Projects Team.

Matsuoka spent a decade in academia at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Washington in Seattle as a professor of robotics. Among her students at Carnegie Mellon was Matt Rogers, who went on to co-found Nest with Tony Fadell.

In 2007, according to Forbes, "she won a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant for her work in neurorobotics, using technology to help disabled people and stroke victims regain the use of their limbs." Matsuoka also helped to develop the BarrettHand, an revolutionary robotic arm, while at MIT.

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