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Third Arm

You know... for fiddly jobs.
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There are times (and we've all had them) where you're doing something and realise that another hand would be really useful. It is at this point you realise you only have two hands, unless you are from a remote village in China or India and got a third arm and hand at birth.

In a valiant effort to correct this cruel evolutionary oversight, UBCo Medical have devised a program to distribute low cost, high efficiency robotic arms to those who want them, whether their motivation is for work or pleasure, or both.

We are cognisant of the unfortunate fact that a new limb currently costs an arm and a leg, so the expected increase in popularity of extra manipulative appendages is likely to reduce the cost of obtaining one for oneself, by dint of economies of scale.

Building small, highly detailed models of your favourite period soldiery just got a lot easier.

UnaBubba, Jun 13 2012

"Helping Hands" http://www.radiosha...p?productId=3928375
When the thing that needs holding is on the small side. [Vernon, Jun 13 2012]

The Mote in Gods Eye http://en.wikipedia...Mote_in_God%27s_Eye
This proposition reminds me of the 3-armed Moties in the linked SF story. They had 2 small and one large arm. If you like SF and have not read Mote do not read this wikipedia article; instead, order the book. [bungston, Jun 14 2012]

Get away from her you Bitch! http://pinktentacle...r-exoskeleton-suit/
Half baked - BOOM! [S-note, Jun 18 2012]

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       It's a step (or rather, a reach) in the right direction, but lacks the ultimate flexibility and versatility of having multiple independant units controlled by a single Collective consciousness, which makes it so much easier to hold the figure, the sword belt and the glue just right.
8th of 7, Jun 13 2012
  

       Yep. Trying to reassemble something my daughter managed to disassemble. Just plain hard work.
UnaBubba, Jun 13 2012
  

       So, aside from the ingenious concept of making these robotic arms "low cost" and "high efficiency", the innovation here presumably lies in a brilliant new method for attaching and perfectly controlling the robotic arm, and for providing the tactile feedback which other low cost, high efficiency robotic arms lack.   

       [Ubie], in your haste you seem to have forgotten to post the novel part of this idea.
MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 13 2012
  

       Oh no, there's no brilliantly efficient way to attach them or to perfect co-ordination and control of the arms. You'll spend years of work on learning fine motor control management of the arm, yet you'll still be a klutz who breaks everything you touch, only more so.   

       The reason for this is simple... you will now have an arm that's hooked to your already confused, struggling brain that was probably having trouble with the two arms that you possessed since birth. Life isn't meant to be fair, [Max]. This exercise is about UBCo Medical ripping off a whole bunch of people by selling them something they don't need and will probably never learn to use properly, a lot like home gymnasium equipment.   

       We simply omitted that distressing fact from the marketing materials... economy of truth, they call it, down in the marketing department.
UnaBubba, Jun 13 2012
  

       Ah yes, the famous Aussie economy.
MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 13 2012
  

       Seriously, it's an interesting one in which to be living. Parts of it are growing so rapidly it's laughable. Other parts of it are standing still. It's a complex situation.
UnaBubba, Jun 14 2012
  

       Inspector UnaBubba. Good luck with Dr Claw.
skinflaps, Jun 14 2012
  

       If you're looking at going third arm on the cheap, consider that there should be a way to combine robotic limbs with the phantom third limb pain and itching some stroke victims encounter. If you can find the right brain injury to trigger it, you'll have a low-cost method of getting sensation to the artificial third limb.   

       It only matters if you think it's itchy.
tatterdemalion, Jun 14 2012
  

       Would come in Handy(pun intended) for when eatingToast and the dreaded double itch syndrome strikes. Allows eating and both scrotal and buttock scratching.
S-note, Jun 18 2012
  

       Pick your nose whilst scratching trunk and junk?
UnaBubba, Jun 18 2012
  

       Exactly, or for carrying heavy shopping and having a smoke at the same time.
S-note, Jun 19 2012
  
      
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