NationStates Jolt Archive

7:30 AM, February 14th, 2008; Palatine, Epsilon Halo:

The company Automatic Engineering Industries suddenly unveiled its new prosthetic arm, the Q1 MAA (Mechanical Arm Augmentation, in a press conference today. A 5 kilogram piece of composite titanium and Kevlar fibers, it looked impressive enough. But when a amputee with a Q1 for a left arm came in. The amputee was presented with a 75-pound weight, and was told to lift it with his Q1. Amazingly, the arm lifted the weight without effort. Then the audience was told that the arm only costs e$ 1,350. They then released the Q2 MAA, for those with still-functioning arms.

Within 3 hours, AE Industries had already received 500,000 orders, and its stock had jumped 785% in price. Within 4, it was released into the international market.

Hospitals were once and for all cured of having to give cheap, plastic parts from dummies to amputees. The military was abuzz with the fact that it could put more of its injured men back into the fight, and now that its soldiers could be something superhuman with the Q2.

Specs:

Q1 Mechanical Arm Augmentation
Manufacturer: Automatic Engineering Industries
Type: Full arm replacement
Weight:5.58 kilograms (for a 91-cm arm)
Length: Variable
Diameter: 115 millimeters
Powerplant: 1 shoulder-mounted power cell+P4 motor, 1 elbow joint self-cycling pneumatic powerplant, totaling 9 hp
Joints: 2 Omnidirectional (shoulder and wrist), 15 hinge (elbow+finger joints), 1 rotary (forearm)
Maximum load: 85 kilograms per arm
Price: USD $1,485

Q2 Mechanical Arm Augmentation
Manufacturer: Automatic Engineering Industries
Type: Detachable arm augmentation
Weight:4 kilograms
Length: variable
Width: variable
Powerplant:1 elbow joint self-cycling pneumatic powerplant, totaling 5 hp
Joints: 1 omnidirectional, 1 hinge
Maximum load: +55 kilograms per arm
Price: USD $1,212

Any takers?

Message from the Armed Republic of Greater Headhunters to the CEO of Automatic Engineering Industries

The military of Greater Headhunters would like to know if you can design a harness which would be equiped with a right and left arm that go above the users actual arms (on the shoulders, so to speak). We would like the hands to be replaced with half meter long machetes. This augmetic arm would be combat orientated (obviously) and used by our soldiers. The specs would be these.

Specs
Type: Detachable arm augmentation, the augmentation sits on the soldiers shoulders and is straped to his chest and back
Weight: Less than 10 kilograms
Length: Variable (Your engineers can work this out and find what's best)
Width: Variable (Your engineers can work this out and find what's best)
Reach: A minimum reach of 1.5 meters+
Powerplant: Two 45 hp Engine that would control each (entire) arm
Joints: 3 Omnidirectional (Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist)
Weapons: A set of two .5 meter long machetes
Price: Less than USD $3000

Message from the Armed Republic of Greater Headhunters to the CEO of Automatic Engineering Industries

The military of Greater Headhunters would like to know if you can design a harness which would be equiped with a right and left arm that go above the users actual arms (on the shoulders, so to speak). We would like the hands to be replaced with half meter long machetes. This augmetic arm would be combat orientated (obviously) and used by our soldiers. The specs would be these.

Specs
Type: Detachable arm augmentation, the augmentation sits on the soldiers shoulders and is straped to his chest and back
Weight: Less than 10 kilograms
Length: Variable (Your engineers can work this out and find what's best)
Width: Variable (Your engineers can work this out and find what's best)
Reach: A minimum reach of 1.5 meters+
Powerplant: Two 45 hp Engine that would control each (entire) arm
Joints: 3 Omnidirectional (Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist)
Weapons: A set of two .5 meter long machetes
Price: Less than USD $3000

The Q2 is better suited for this, but we don't think we'll be able to add 40 hp to it without making it totally impractical. Also, the Q2 uses a self-cycling pneumatic motor, which sucks air in automatically.

The shoulder joint is not needed. the elbow is a hinge, and the wrist is unpowered. The back-mounted power pack would add some cost to that.

About attachment, the Q2 is fastened onto the arm by a metal brace and some Velcro, and has a little thing that is worn on the upper body. The machetes will be easy to attach, maybe only $50 USD more per arm. This would bring the weight at about 8.7 kilograms.

We hope you will like our modifications.