1st Step : Hand mechanical drawings.
We started by drawing our own hand (which is not that easy, when you have to measure your hand by yourself.) We were struck by the fact that the hand respects the Fibonacci sequence, just like the rest of our body, and that the length of each part can be calculated when knowing the previous one.
This throws a new light on my previous knowledge, made in Pretty Women : your feet is as long as your forearm.
We then decided of a movement for our future mechanical hand. I was interested in the fist, because of its empowering character and because it has for a special meaning. I started karate when I was 5, and continued for years. My punches were famous and I used to be called ”the robot” for the way I used to fight against taller and older boys.
We added tracing papers on top of the first ones, and drew the hand in movement.
We then did the paper model. I wanted the thumb to be on top of the other fingers when the hand would make a fist.
After this step came the real one. I hesitated for the material, but finally decided that it would be a challenge to do it with recycled material. This is why I used the metal of some ice tea cans. To create the movement, one has to pull the wire thread that goes through the hand and is connected to the fingers.
The interconnection between the fingers was striking. It is almost impossible to move one of them without having the others moving as well, at least a little bit.
Two days ago, I cut my left thumb quite deeply with an exactor knife : my finger is almost paralyzed and the others are not very efficient anymore. And I realize – it is very cliché – that it is only when something is missing that one fully appreciate the value of this thing.
