Prosthetic, robotic 'Smart Hand' has feelings, too
By Laura June 
posted October 24th 2009 12:42PM
posted October 24th 2009 12:42PM
Researchers in Italy and Sweden have spent the last ten years developing what they call the "Smart Hand," a prosthetic hand which enables feeling in its fingertips. The hand -- which was recently wired up to a test patient through a surgical procedure -- has four motors and forty sensors which are linked directly to the brain. In the surgery, the nerve endings of the patient were linked up to receptors in the hand, which allows for feeling in the fingertips of the hand, even though the hand is not really a part of his body. In the video after the break, you can see the greater precision and dexterity this hand allows for. Though the research still needs to be refined before practical use, it looks pretty far along -- and pretty awesome -- to us.
Oh my god, it's the terminator hand!
Full Metal Alchemist anyone?
Cyberdyne System model 101.
terminators don't have any feelings though hehe
One step closer to surrogates.
Luke, I AM your father!
NOOOOOOOO!!!
Do not want!
That might be a bit painful...
This comment not nearly as funny with the one that you were replying to having been deleted; But for those reading late: Badger is referring to the hand being utilized for something less normal than holding a key.
Of course, I mean high-fives.
Yeah why not censor it. Its awesome when you have a comment system that you rank random bullshit as either funny(but not too funny) crass or annoying?
Why bother graying it out when you can just rip it out completely?
He can turn the censers off for the sleeper
he most likely takes it off
I wonder if the socket they fit the hand into can be used as a universal connector...
THIS DRILL ARM OF MINE SPINS WITH AN AWESOME POWER!
IT PIERCES THE HEAVENS
Row, Row, Fight THE POWAH!
How about an attachment with a cell-phone?
"I'm an Android, and Eclair was totally my idea."
erupting burning....
It's funny to see all the ridiculous comments, shows how detached a lot of people are to the world around them. I know of a few veterans who would take this more seriously. Its also nice to see endgadget put something up that's not about cell phones and computers.
>Complaining about posts about technology on a technology blog
>Also implying that veterans deserve my respect and sympathy more than someone who lost their hand in an accident
@ Poo_and_Wee
You're an idiot.
Engadget is not the place where people come for the human interest aspect. If you don't like the angle of the comments go read a blog about puppies and unicorns.
@ Poo_and_Wee
A friend of mine lost his hand while serving in the army. He saved a life by taking a grenade and throwing it away (not fast enough, the explosion still destroyed his right hand).
This "accident" never stopped the guy from being an extraordinary person.
I hope someday he will afford a prosthetic hand similar to the one described in the article.
I remember watching the Six Million Dollar Man TV show back in the 70's when I was a kid and thinking wow that would be awesome if they could actually do that but never thought that I would ever see that in my lifetime.
It is truely amazing what they have accomplished and will change the world forever once they have perfected.
I don't mean to nitpick… but is that title grammatically correct?
No, did you expect it, too?
^--- made me lol.
"Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. We can make him better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster."
He can't feel that.
Funny, I gave engadget a heads up on this bit of news a few days ago, way to give credit guys! :P
oh my god...
they built a cyborg !
That's awesome.
I'm curious by "feeling" if they mean tactile feedback and if it's pressure sensitive. Assuming other types of feedback like hot/cold and such "sensations" are quite a bit more complicated...?
In the hand (and skin for that matter) there are labeled lines that originate from different receptors for different things (e.g. Paccian corpuscles do stretch, I think). So it's conceivable that there could be 40 receptors for pressure, 40 for stretch, 40 for temperature, 40 for vibration, and 40 for pain.
That's a bunch of receptors, though.
This is, obviously, a step forward for crippled people, and that's admirable. But, as a serious question, will this be available for able-bodied people? Can I get Doc Ock arms in the future? Will there be legal and moral precedents? Will there be restrictions, regulations, rules as to how we can use said appendages?
Will there be multiple-eye options? Is the brain capable of processing another viewpoint and making sense of it? Again, will there be federal laws to regulate robo-eyes?
I god damn hope it happens in my lifetime.
Once they implant mechanical eyes with infrared, UV, and x-ray capabilities there better be regulations or else there'll be a lot of mischief or broken privacy laws.
Crippled people?! Are you living in 1950?
This will be very useful for people with disabilities and if temporary able folks want to buy a bunch, that would help bring the price down, so I count that as a good thing.
Now all I need is my robot penis.
Is it becoming increasingly more common for anyone else to see stuff like this on YouTube before engadget?
Wheres the USB support?
I'm sure there will be a project to patch together support eventually.
[/xkcd]
This thing looks amazing! The future is here. Amazing how this thing transmits feeling back to his brain! Too cool!
yeah that 3.3v signal is intense.
nice cuz if were bionic we'll at least have a chance against the robots
Automail!
"It's nice"
"The power of the sun... in the palm of my Smart Hand."
they need to put on that hand: a swiss army knife, a projector, a laser pointer, usb drive, lighter... anything else?
everything else
Soon :robotic fap fap.
WHAT THIS HAS BEEN EDITED OUT!?
IM HORRIFIED SOMEONE WOULD THINK AND WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
But i think its funny. so Uprank i give you one
Hopefully, the pain-sensing nerve fibers aren't attached too.
JUDGMENT DAY COMMING SOON.Terminator is back!