Today in science catching up with science-fiction: German researchers have constructed a fully functional terminator hand. As the video demonstrates, this robot hand can emerge from baseball bat assaults totally unscathed, just like real terminators. My question: Why we are seeing more progress in the creation of machines that are supposed to wipe out humans rather than say, curing cancer? Anyway, the video of the creepy, moving robot fingers getting hit by bats is after the jump. How many years until we get the full T-100? Place your bets!
According to Wired, the hand can also attack by "exerting up to 30 Newtons of pressure with its fingers." And apparently it moves very fast too. To wit: "The joints can spin at 500-degrees per second. If it tenses the springs joined to the tendons first, and then releases that energy, the joints can reach a head-spinning 2,000-degrees per second, or 333 rpm." Admittedly, these stats are Greek to me, but the gist of the article is that these numbers suggest more than enough speed and force to successfully enslave the human race. Next up for this research team: Constructing a torso and two arms. Pleasant dreams!
[Via Wired]