The finger of God?

Two weeks ago, during the 5th SCHUNK expert days of service robotics, I took some photos of the new anthropomorphic (= human-like) 5-finger hand from SCHUNK. 

Especially the next photo was a reminiscent of a section of Michelangelos famous fresco known as  "The Creation of Adam" for me.

Source: Wikipedia - The Creation of Adam - Michelangelo

It was never my intention to make a copy of that scene, mainly the detail known as "The finger of God", when I took the photo of the human and the human-like hand during the exhibition. But after taking a look on my photographic output on the computer screen after the photo shooting, Michelangelos famous painting came into my mind immediately.

What do you think about my comparison?

But back from heaven to technology:  The design study of the 5-finger hand, which has been introduced at the International Expert Days on Service Robotics 2012, is available as a Right and Left "Hand" for the first time.

 

It is quite amazing how it resembles its human model, in size, shape, appearance and mobility. Nine drives enable the 5-finger hand to carry out various gripping operations. It has been found that many human gestures can be replicated, thus a visual communication between a human and service robot is simplified, therefore increasing the acceptance of using them in the domestic environment. By using tactile sensors in the fingers, the gripper hand has the necessary sensitivity and can therefore manage every gripping and manipulation task, even in unstructured and unforeseeable situations. Elastic gripping surfaces ensure a reliable hold of the gripped objects. The gripper hand can be connected with lightweight arms via defined interfaces.

Besides the "human hand meets human-like hand" encounter on the exhibiton of service robots it came to a "plush duckling wing meets robot hand" encounter there as well... ;-)

 Even plush ducklings seem to be deeply impressed about SCHUNK future-oriented technology... ;-))

Gimme five...