Robot taught ridiculously dangerous bar game with sharp, fast-moving knife

Would you trust someone to play ‘stabscotch’ with you?

Stabscotch - you know the game with a knife in which someone rapidly moves the blade of sharp knife between the spread fingers of your hand on (typically) a bar table.

Also known as 'pinfinger,' 'nerve,' or 'bishop,' the game has now been perfected (?) by a robot constructed and programmed by Switzerland-based robotics company Stäubli.

Stäubli describes their robot as:

The TX40 6-axis industrial robot features an articulated arm for extraordinary dexterity and flexibility. A unique spherical work envelope allows maximum utilization of cell workspace. Additional benefits include floor, wall and ceiling mount options for complete flexibility in robot integration. The robot arm’s rugged, fully enclosed structure (rated IP65) makes it ideal for applications in harsh environments.

Behold:

(app users can see video here)

(The Nerdest has the full story)

Here’s why the game is sometimes called ‘Bishop:’

(app users can see video here)