Chapter 63: Applications of the mechanical hand
Translated by me, edited by drpetro.
How big was this mechanical arm? Standing up, it was about the size of a leather executive’s chair.
A metal base was at the bottom, yet the mechanical hand was installed on top of the base in order for it to be level.
Qiao One and Qiao Two were putting on the final touches. Through the use of control software that was similar to that in the CNC machines, the mechanical hand was opening and closing with a *ka ka ka* sound.
“Boss, in accordance with your instructions, the mechanical hand has been completed.” Qiao One, who was wearing a royal blue uniform, laughingly said: “The movement capture system can’t be made at the moment, but the mechanical movements are not a problem.”
Having taken over the controls, Ye Qing fooled around with it for a bit.
The mechanical arm has three joints. Its movements were not only slow, but also very noisy. While it was moving, it was also possible to feel the rigidity of the mechanics.
If the traditional mechanical arms were WWII propeller fighters, and the mechanical arm in the blueprint was a F-22 Raptor stealth fighter.
Then the one inside of Ye Qing’s workshop right now, which was lacking in both material and parts, could only be considered as a first generation jet plane; those without a radar or weapons.
What could he do, his factory was just too small.
WIth his hand on his chin, Ye Qing walked around this chair sized mechanical hand while he pondered on how to turn it into a sellable product.
Currently, if the hydraulics were further enlarged, then it could be transplanted onto excavators.
Or it can be made into a remote controlled platform and sold to those who worked in dangerous situations.
Remote controlled platforms were easier to make. All that needed to be done was to buy some back, and upgrade them a bit. Of course, that also needed to be authorized by the maker.
At the same time, it also required the mechanical arm’s structure to be much simpler. This was so that it could be stronger and have more advantages to the ones on the market, but not so strong to the point that it could send people into despair.
No matter if it was from the technological perspective or from the perspective of enlarging profits, to bring out the best product right off the bat was a very impulsive and worthless move.
Take for example Apple. Starting with its iPhone 4, they brought out a new version every year, yet the differences between the new and the previous version were just some minor changes.
Yet, that not only satisfied the appetite of the users, it also made an astronomical amount of profit.
No one would go against money. With the genius of Apple’s example at front, Ye Qing would definitely follow their model of product sales.
It was just that……
The idea was wonderful, but no matter if it was the production of excavators or remote controlled robots, they all required a large amount of investment.
To be perfectly honest, Ye Qing was broke right now. To dream of using the 2 or 3 million yuan in the bank to make excavators or remote controlled robots was nothing but a joke.
Lacking money naturally meant finding ways to earn money. Selling technical skills to those large scale mechanical equipment manufacturers, like Huaxing Heavy Industry, could result in a large income, but there was no way Ye Qing was going to do something that stupid.
His goal was to become the number one manufacturer in the world. All those listed on the rankings list were all his enemies, and must all be squashed.
Selling them skills meant that they would use their already established product network to sell their product all over the world. This would not only will let them run ahead as a competitor, but also increase their expansion, so their rankings would also fly sky high.
This was competition. This was selling a noose to hang oneself with.
Hence no matter the difficulty, Ye Qing would still try his hardest to slowly crawl up the rankings with his own hands.
When those engravers actually became popular, they would be more than enough to fund further research into manufacturing remote controlled robots. As of right now, it was probably a better idea to think about how to quickly earn more money……
Yet after contemplating for a long time, Ye Qing still couldn’t come up with anything. Yet right at that moment, the mechanical arm over there seemed to be just like a chair.
Ye Qing simply sat down on the mechanical arm’s palm and used the fingertips as the chair’s back while he was slowly thinking.
Coincidentally, the weather today just kept on getting hotter, yet the coolness from the stainless steel let the time fly by super comfortably.
It was just that the mechanical fingertips on the back felt somewhat awkward. Ye Qing simply took the controls and slowly adjusted the 5 mechanical fingers into a very comfortable and personal position.
Oh right!
Those gaming chairs from those game streams all have waist pillows.
Ye Qing controlled the fingertip joints of the mechanical hand to slightly bend backwards for a pillow shaped frame.
The mechanical arm was slightly too long, so Ye Qing bent the mechanical arm again and moved the palm back a bit, so that when he leaned back, his head perfectly rested on the middle finger.
“Ennnn…… Don’t all executive chairs have two armrests.” Ye Qing quickly lowered the thumb and pinky to form two armrests.
Not to mention the three fingers acting as the back of the chair, with two as arm rests the chair was simply perfect.
The 40 some moveable joints within the 5 fingers, were controlled by Ye Qing into the most comfortable, most satisfying position.
Haha ~
With the new toy in hand, Ye Qing hogged the controls and controlled the joints to swing slightly. Ye Qing no longer felt like he was sitting in an executive chair anymore, rather, it was if he was in a hammock.
With 14 joints in the back, Ye Qing, who was now addicted to the chair, controlled three of them to give himself a light massage.
Ahhh ~ Hummm ~
Even the noise from the machines in the workshop weren’t loud enough to cover waves of Ye Qing’s satisfied hums.
What could be done.
Who let Ye Qing construct such a human-like mechanical arm?
Although it was still a failure in accordance to the blueprint, it could still do all the possible movements that a human hand could. Coincidentally, it was also big enough, with a leveled upper arm and a slightly inclined forearm. This was simply the most perfect executive chair ever made.
It was just like when people laid on a desk and used their hands to support their chins. If the hand was big enough, enough to be comparable with executive chairs, it could support a whole person and comfortably for that matter.
The mechanical palm still had 5 moveable joints left. Ye Qing again made some slight adjustments, and reached the most comfortable position in the world. (E/N: The author uses “most most most” but i’ll save you from the ….brainfart)
Hahahahahaha ~
While massaging, it was also swinging back and forth. It could also spin, swing left and right, and rise up or down.
The key point here still laid with the massage. When regular masseuses were lightly pounding one’s back with their fingers, they were never able to nimbly use every single joint in their fingers.
But the mechanical hand was completely different. The 14 finger joints and 5 palm joints could all nimbly work together to coordinate any kind of difficult massage movement. This had Ye Qing experience what it felt like to have 10 masseuses work on him at the same time.
This was the most direct difference between human beings and machines. It was just like the difference between how humans couldn’t let out two tones of voices at once, yet a loudspeaker could simultaneously let out thousands upon thousands of sounds.
“Qiao One, Qiao Two!” Ye Qing excitingly called out: “Immediately make me another mechanical limb! With the same everything! I want it to also have a layer of foam on it, so it can become an executive chair later!”
“No problem boss. We’re here for all your needs.”
“Hahaha ~ I now possess the most advanced executive chair in the world!” Ye Qing thought that a layer of foam wasn’t enough at all, it needed at least another layer of soft leather before it could be called a complete executive chair.
Then Ye Qing suddenly jumped right off of the incomplete executive chair!
“Holy shit ~ making these chairs was the best idea ever!” Ye Qing abruptly hammered his leg, and made a face that looked like he had just won the lottery.
Let’s first milk money from the market with these chairs, then use that money to directly make some excavators!
Those game streamers all love to show off their gaming chairs, saying that they were ergonomic, came with waist and neck pillows, adjustable armrests, and what not……
A single one of those chairs cost several thousand!
This chair of his could be unboundedly adjusted ok? Even if it was someone with severe hemorrhoids, with just a slight curl of the palm, even they could sit comfortably ok?
Adjustable armrests?
His armrests could be adjusted into any position, and could even lightly massage your legs as well.
Add on a cup holder on the armrest, and it could liberate both of your hands to let you experience a never before felt pleasure.
High end executive chairs come with massaging abilities?
I’m very sorry, but as long as you install a massage program on mine, you would be able to experience massages from master level masseuses, and it was ten of them together at that.
Rocking chair?
……
With your girlfriend on your lap, the mechanical palm could dip and curl, and let you do and experience the same things and feelings without a single movement ok?
The two armrests could even help you do all kinds of movements and even act as tools……
Rotating rocking chair?
The two armrests could even act as safety belts to protect you. Add on the nimble mechanical arm, and you could even experience the thrill that was only available at amusement parks right at home. Pair it with V.R. glasses, and you would pretty much feel like you’ve been teleported alright?
That kind of chair……
Covered in memory foam and real leather, it needed to be worth at least 30 – 40 thousand!
As for the production costs?
It was at most 3000. Even selling this for more than ten times production cost, Ye Qing still felt like it was too cheap.
As soon as these chairs entered the market, which boss wouldn’t want one?
Which man wouldn’t want it?
Which lady wouldn’t……
The absolute, most vital, most important thing was that this chair wasn’t like an excavator or a drone, which needs tons of complex changes.
With the 2 – 3 million yuan in the bank, Ye Qing felt that using it to make excavators would definitely bring lots of prestige and industry recognition.
But using this much money to make excavators and drones was like just going hunting for a mature dragon with a level 1 character and a mana ring alright?
How easy was it to make a chair and a controller, which could contain all kinds of functional procedures to complete the aforementioned functions.
There was only the unthought of, not the impossible.
Then when the time came, he could be just like Apple with their S series, Plus series and what not.
A low-end version for those with low income, and a standard and high-end version for those office workers or those who are in computer related business.
With money, manufacturing excavators also became extremely easy. That also became an extremely good excuse to fall back to when those overpowered excavators of Ye Qing’s hit the market.
Because they were an inspiration that came from the chair and making use of the chair’s tech by transferring it onto the excavators.
Ennn ~ There was also the need for these high tech chairs to have a flashy name.