European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 16, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Designing a human like hand for by Rob Stein United press irate National John holler6ach grabbed an empty colocan from among the schematic drawings scraps of wire and pliers on his Cambridge,mass., Workbench and twirled it in his Palm All the fingers come into play when Mamp Laling an object said Hoo Erbach pausing to let his Impromptu demonstration sink in. La san incredibly Complex  inches away robot hand was boiled motionless at Iha end of an Arm like Metal Extension looking she the skeletal remains of a dismembered Iamb of some tulu Islic half Man half machine. It was the mar Ulah hand the product of a collaboration Between the University of Utah and the Massachusetts Institute of technology to produce the most advanced most human Lik Robol hand Ever developed. It s a very difficult  said Houet Bach an associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences leading a six member research team at Mit. We Don t understand by any Means All aspects of human hand function during Udo nah Al ration Iha Izral sprang to to Hoptay  Nanor Furin nil n a Oaker of Tui cd and pour it into a Glassman re Many pick Upa Butterfly Mil and twirl in onto a screw. Modelled of the human hand the impound aluminium robot device 19 already far More advanced  artificial manipulator Over developed most robot hands Only have Ivy Orco Liko fingers. Limiting Hen abilities to Samplo clamping unctions. Each hand s usually designed to perform one last such of grasping an object biting in and moving it 10 a new location t he previously most advanced hand developed by Stan Ltd University and the Jel propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena Calil has three of tigers greatly increasing ils capabilities bin Theair pow Rod Mit Ulah hand Wilh its 16 joins on four fingers has the capacity to perform vastly More  and Complex forms of grasping manipulation and dexterity ii s not As Complex As the human hand Buhl s Polty Complex said Hotler Bachin an in Levite in the a racial intelligence Labat Mit each Finger has four joints instead of the three in a human digit. Two robot joints perform the Iron Loback and Sidn to Side lunch Ems of the one . Each joint is controlled by two Lendra made from unusually resilient Dacron fibres. The tendons Are powered by a motor Aboul these zest two loaves of bread the hand b missing the equivalent of the Pinky because the researchers decided four lingers provided enough capabilities and a fifth Finger would make in too Complex  the device by inserting their hand Inlo a Glove connected electronically to the robot hand which will exactly mimic the Glove s movements the hand is equipped with 48 sensors that determine Iho exact position of the joints and tension on the tendons. Thai information is fad Back to the Glove allowing the user to differentials Between say. An egg and a steel Ball. Seven copies of the hand have been sold so Lar for $100,000each, including copies to Bell laboratories new York University and Nasa which wants to improve its ability to manipulate objects in space. The researchers however Are not Sal shed they want to significantly increase the hand s abilities. We Thinh there a great need for the subtleties of grasping. Only Whan vie get More advanced in our research program will we really under stand How Complex people s use of hands really is said Oberbach. Wedora great Many things thai we re not aware of thai Artex remaly sophisticated much More sophisticated than what robot devices Are doing today he said. The ultimate goal is to develop a computer con rolled hand that is programmed to perform a wide Range of Complex tasks that approach those of the human hand and can be operated from a computer terminal instead of the Glova. The researchers already have Whiten programs or simple functions such As using the whole hand to simply pick up objects. They Are in the midst of increasing  their computer by 10 times approaching supercomputer Levels to handle much longer complicated programs necessary Lor More advanced unctions such As fingertip grasping and multifaceted manipulation. This hand is tremendously demanding in tarns of compute Power said Halo reach. They also plan to wrap Lour rubberized sensors around the fingertips to enhance the hand s sensing abilities. Erma bomber someone interviewed me recently and wanted to know if t saved ideas so that i could be assured of at least one Strong column a week. I Don t save anything. My pockets Are empty Al the end of a week so is my refrigerator. So is my Gas Lank. So is my file of  i Trot out the Besl i be got and come the next week i bargain whimper make promises cower and throw Mysell on the mercy of he almighty for just three More columns in Exchange for cleaning my oven. I did t get to this Point overnight f came from a family savers who were sired by poverty raised in the depression and worshipped Al the altar of self denial. Throughout the years i be seen a Lair number of my family who have died leaving candles that have never been lit appliances that never go out of the Box wines Hal were being saved for something special and new Solas shrouded in Chenille bedspreads. Ii gels to be a habit. After a while you have dreams that you hide away for the Days when you have  you have Nice compliments to say to people thai you put aside until the right  you Squirrel away plans to Lake a trip when All of you can gel  you have old grudges that you Are going to Settle when you get around  i had a relative who Tor years entertained in her basement. I once described the decor As Early hoi water  we Sal on glider swings and drank from plastic As we surveyed the room around us a Workbench outdoor tables mismatched lamps and stationary tubs. Upstairs was a perfectly Beautiful living room thai was misnamed. I used to Call her and say Lei s go to lunch today Well eat something fattening and talk about everyone who in l there " she always hesitated and said let s plan it Well have All week to look Forward toil " usually by the time in rolled around one of us could t go. 1 have Learned that Silv aware tarnishes when it in t used. Perfume turns to alcohol and never smells As Sweet As when in is used. Candles melt in the attic Over the summer. Plastic left on lamp shades to keep Ott the dust makes them wrinkle. And ideas that Are saved for a dry week often become dated. I always had a dream that when i am asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court in will go thusly so empty your pockets. What have you got led of your life any dreams that were unfulfilled any unused Talent that we gave you when you were born that you still have led any unsaid compliments of bits of love that you Haven t spread around and i will answer i be nothing to return. I spent everything you gave me. I m As naked As the Day i was  Cissy. Uang Tymn Page 16 the stars and stripes monday. March 16,1987