Why Hands Matter

This paper illustrates various aspects of technological advancements in designs and functioning of prosthetic hands. Schunk, a top supplier of robotic grippers, believes humanoid hands will make robots more flexible and eliminate tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of auxiliary equipment. Shadow Robot's hand can grip an egg or a pair of pliers. The company is building hands that mimic human motion for service robots, which will act like valets to perform a variety of tasks for their masters. With a hand, a robot could determine if it could get to a part and then configure its hand to get to the location and grasp the part. Touch Bionics’s i-LIMB hand combines an independently powered thumb and index finger with three fingers that move in unison. Muscle contractions in the forearm control its movement. It can peel a banana, lifting a credit card off a table, or holding a briefcase. It is expected that surgeons in hospitals may use robotic humanoid hands to perform delicate operations in remote locations.