The Cyberhand bionic hand feels and flexes

The Europeans responsible for the "Cyberhand" have, along with it's scifi-esque moniker, given their creation some scifi-esque capabilities that bode well for amputees and Luke Skywalker wannabees the world over. The bionic hand not only has individually functioning digits, including an opposing thumb for the multitude of actions that require one, but those fingers should be able to feel, yet still only take a relatively small number of nerves to control. It works in much the same way as a real hand; by using synthetic tendons that run through each finger, the artificial hand only needs 6 motors to control motion. So far they've created a touch sensitive prototype, and now it looks like their next task is to attach the hand and fire it up. Though what's really got us excited is the wireless communication between the nerve endings and the hand, opening up a whole realm of possibilities for hot-swapping arm attachments. We think you know where we're going with this.

[Via Slashdot]

[jon @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

This is amazing stuff people. I always new that the prothetics industry would one day hit this kind of level. Whats new? Custom built hands? arms? legs? hahaha too late they already got them!
I love this age!

[MakTheYak @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

What gets me excited about this is the possibilities for practical jokes, including doing a good impression of the Addams Family's 'Thing'...

[Ryan Waddell @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I smell Nintendo Revolution add-on!

[Paulo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

The upgrade Steve Austin has been waiting for?

Oh wait, if I get one of these, I'll just HAVE to get a white persian cat.... muahhhahahahaha

[unknown555525 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I wonder if i get about 12 of these things i can really multi-task.


But at probebly half a million a piece i guess ill be saving up.

[nowhere @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

@#2

Can you imagine a Metroid game with this thing?

[Shig the Unmentionable @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Mmmm, attachments. Time to start building that army of immense magnitude.

[Blue_Six @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

"We think you know where we�re going with this."

To the porn industry?

No but seriously, the wireless aspect could creep some people out. Imagine somebody detaching his hand and using a some sort of "signal amplifier" to have his hand wander around being controlled by his "thoughts" and even transmitting the sensation of "feeling" remotely.

Nausea-inducing? Totally awesome? Reason to envy amputees?

Either way, my sister is going to flip when she hears about it because she was born with her left arm ending in her wrist, muscles and nerves are all there but no hand and she's been waiting for a good prosthetic solution all her life.

[Kyle Peterson @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Take your idea from the other side Blue Six and think about someone hacking someone's wireless hand connection. You could control someone else's hand or even torture someone maybe by sending overloaded signals to their nerves.

[Greg Killmaster @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Can I get one without the fake skin? I want people to know that my hand is made of robot.

[south @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

i still have both my hands, but would like an extra wireless one all the same.

what's the range on these things?

[Ashley J. Williams @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

chainsaw attachment .... buzzzzz!

[Blue_Six @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Ah yes Kyle, brave new world indeed.

I guess I was too euphoric to revert to the average pattern of painting the devil over any new piece of tech that comes along.

And I'm not even being sarcastic at all, I completely agree with what you said.

But making using all means at our disposal for atrocities and evil is old news. So I'll still cheer this thing on and turn a blind eye on the negative capabilities. =|

[Paulo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Oh man, think about how much you could freak out kids at parties.... how lame will it make the good old "hey kids watch me remove my thumb; see it's still wiggiling" and there's the potential for scratching the unscratchable areas.

Let me be the first to drop this on a moving plate at the Sushi Train.... oooh the fun.

[GoRobotics.net @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

The real question, at least to me, is how this thing is going to be powered. Running 16 motors isn't a power-friendly job and there's nothing worse that lots of hand but but no oomph.

[tempusmaster @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Jesse Sullivan has already claimed the title of "World's First Bionic Man" with help from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and prosthetic technology from Liberating Technologies.

Jesse, and his new arm, were featured in the October 24th issue of Design News magazine where they covered some of the amazing technology. There's a fairly extensive summary here: http://www.robots-dreams.com/2005/11/rewiring_the_bo.html along with links to other articles and sites with videos of Jesse in action.

[dan warriner @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

let the megaman evolution begin!!!

[AH @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I would like to know if they build the thing out of material inert enough to cover with skin grafts. With the right material and skillful skin grafting, they could make everything but the finger tips look natural... maybe even that.

For the people wondering about bottle opener attachments, this thing is mechanical, just use the "wireless" nerve connection to shift gears and pull the bottle top off completely

[Nogami @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

As long as I could crush a steel pipe with it (ala Steve Austin), them I'm all for it.

Infact, if I could use it like a real hand AND crush a steel pipe with it, I'd think about taking up testing experimental aircraft (ala Steve Austin).

N.

[hobgoblin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

i think its a bit before the crush pipe stage (unless its a very thin pipe).

basicly the engines that one can fit inside that hand dont have the rotational force (what the name again, english isnt my native language and some words i have never picked up the spelling off). they would rather burn out then be able to make a mark on the pipe...

[Timerider @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Sweet, swap it for a circular saw attachment. I wonder what it would be like to control something like that, like part of your body. Weird.

[IMForeman @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

You belong to us. You will be like us. Resistance is futile.

[deesnuts @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Ive got a case of tennis balls lined up

[Scott Orchard @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Better...stronger...faster..., but seriously, this could be great. What about little gadgets tucked away in each finger, lock pick, pen, torch ala Inspector Gadget?

[Jrat @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

pull my finger...

[passerby @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

What?! you think I'm not productive enough why I bust by back for this *swearword* company?!? why don't you tell that to my hand huh? ... taaaalk toooo theeee haaaaandddd!!!!!

(Supposedly this my hand could crush stuff ...)

[Timerider @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

#24
Cool, flamethrower :)

Put the regular hand, flamethrower, chain saw, circular saw, ion cannon (lol), etc. in one. Then just think of changing it and in turns into one of those, ala Terminator 3. That would be awesome. Then we will finally envy amputees. Lucky. ;)