The war against machines is near, thanks to Cyberdyne... I mean... the German Aerospace Center. The DLR Hand Arm System is a terminator-like anthropomorphic appendage that functions just as a normal human hand and arm would. Only it's way more durable and can take a beating from not only a hammer, but a baseball bat. Possibly the next-gen soldier?
The robotic hand consists of 5 independently functioning fingers with 19 degrees of freedom, just one degree shy of its bona fide flesh and blood counterpart. Its elbow only has one, and its shoulder has 3 degrees of freedom. Also, it can exert 30 newtons of force from its fingertips, an impressive feat for any robot. The robustness comes from its 38 tendons that vary in stiffness, depending on the circumstances. Watch the hand take a beating from a hammer below, while maintaining its original condition.
Also, it can use a hammer just a well as it can take a pounding from one. By varying its stiffness, the DLR Hand Arm System improves its accuracy, allowing it to perform tasks most other robots can't, like driving a nail into wood.
And how does this robotic appendage stand up to baseball bat? Quite well. You can see it take a licking and keep on ticking, with the mechanisms and electronics unharmed and fully functional. In the video, you see it perfectly performing the same exact function it did before the violent collision.
It's just a matter of time before the roles are reversed, and the robots are the ones giving the beating. Next up... Skynet.
