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<\/div>Versatile Touch<\/h2>
If we want robots to take over more tasks for humans, we need to give them more versatile hands.<\/p>
Right now, many robot hands can only complete specialized tasks. Ones that are strong often have trouble with tasks that require a delicate touch, and soft hands often don’t pack much of a punch when it comes to strength.<\/p>
But now, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have created a robot hand<\/a> that’s not only strong, but also soft — and it could usher in a new era in robotics.<\/p> The team drew inspiration for its hand from the origami magic ball<\/a>. Rather than using some sort of finger-like grippers, their cone-shaped robot hand<\/a> envelopes an object and then collapses around it, much like a Venus flytrap captures its prey.<\/p> The pressure applied is enough for the hand to lift objects up to 100 times its own weight, but it can also handle far more delicate, light objects. A video released by MIT demonstrates the hand’s ability to pick up everything from a soup can to a banana.<\/p> University of California at Santa Cruz robotics professor Michael Wehner, who was not involved in the project, praised the hand, noting its novelty in an interview with MIT News<\/em>.<\/p> “This is a very clever device that uses the power of 3-D printing, a vacuum, and soft robotics to approach the problem of grasping in a whole new way,” Wehner said. “In the coming years, I could imagine seeing soft robots gentle and dexterous enough to pick a rose, yet strong enough to safely lift a hospital patient.”<\/p> READ MORE: <\/strong>Robot hand is soft and strong<\/a> [MIT News<\/em>]<\/p> More on robot hands:<\/strong> This AI-Operated Robotic Hand Moves With “Unprecedented Dexterity”<\/a><\/em><\/p> The post New Robot Hand Works Like a Venus Flytrap to Grip Objects<\/a> appeared first on Futurism<\/a>.<\/p> Read more: Versatile Touch If we want robots to take over more tasks for humans, we need to give them more versatile hands. Continue reading Show of Hands<\/h2>
Soft, but Strong<\/h2>
New Robot Hand Works Like a Venus Flytrap to Grip Objects<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"