Researchers at MIT have developed an ultrasound wristband that precisely tracks hand movements, allowing users to control a robotic hand or manipulate virtual objects. The device produces high-quality images of the wrist's muscles and tendons, which are then translated into specific hand positions, enabling precise movement control.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalNature Electronics·DateMar 25, 2026
A new robotic design uses vine-like structures to lift and grasp a variety of objects, including humans, with a gentler approach. The robot can snake around obstacles, squeeze through tight spaces, and even secure itself in a closed loop to create a sling.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalScience Advances·DateDec 10, 2025
Researchers at EPFL's CREATE Lab have developed bio-hybrid robots that use discarded crustacean shells to create a robotic manipulator, grippers, and a swimming robot. The devices combine the strength and flexibility of natural materials with synthetic components for sustainable design and reuse.
SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalAdvanced Science·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 4, 2025
Researchers at Purdue University have developed fidget-controlled robots that utilize metastability to create soft robotic systems. These robots use bistable domes to perform tasks such as grasping and classifying objects, demonstrating the potential for physical systems to replace electronic components in challenging environments.
SourcePurdue University·JournalAdvanced Science·DateSep 26, 2025
Creality K1 Max 3D Printer
Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.
Researchers developed a bio-inspired bistable robotic gripper with tunable energy barrier, achieving rapid, compliant, and powerful grasping behavior. The gripper can adapt to different tasks and environments through dynamic energy barrier modulation, enabling efficient interaction with objects.
SourceResearch·JournalResearch·TypeNews article·DateAug 17, 2025
A new robotic slip-prevention method has been developed to improve robots' grip and handling of fragile or slippery objects. This bio-inspired approach allows robots to predict when an object might slip and adapt their movements in real-time, outperforming traditional strategies.
SourceUniversity of Surrey·JournalNature Machine Intelligence·DateJul 24, 2025
Johns Hopkins engineers developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip and grasp everyday objects like a human, using a hybrid design that combines rigid and soft robotics. The system achieves 99.69% accuracy in handling objects of varying textures and materials.
SourceJohns Hopkins University·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 5, 2025
The research team developed a gripper (MOGrip) that can transfer multiple objects simultaneously, reducing process time by 34% and travel distance by 71%. Inspired by human multi-object grasping strategy, MOGrip features in-hand translation capability and decoupling links for simplified control.
SourceSeoul National University College of Engineering·JournalScience Robotics·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 2, 2025
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.
Researchers at Tampere University have developed a non-electric touchpad that can sense force, area, and location of contact without electricity. The device is made of soft silicone and contains 32 channels, enabling precise detection of handwritten letters and multiple simultaneous touches.
SourceTampere University·JournalAdvanced Intelligent Systems·DateOct 24, 2024
A new system dubbed SonicSense allows robots to interpret the world through acoustic vibrations, giving them a richer ability to 'feel' and understand objects. The system, featuring a robotic hand with contact microphones, can identify materials, shapes, and recognize objects in complex environments.
SourceDuke University·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 22, 2024
Researchers developed ROSE, a soft robotic gripper that gently grasps objects using a unique 'wrinkling' phenomenon. The study demonstrates ROSE's effectiveness in picking up various crops, including strawberries and mushrooms, with high success rates.
SourceJapan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology·JournalThe International Journal of Robotics Research·DateSep 26, 2024
Researchers at Singapore University of Technology and Design designed a vacuum-actuated hybrid soft gripper to handle delicate objects of varying sizes and shapes. The gripper features soft composite fingers and a palm, enabling wide grasping potential and adaptability to specific tasks.
SourceSingapore University of Technology and Design·JournalFrontiers in Robotics and AI·DateAug 20, 2024
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.
Researchers at Uppsala University have developed an artificial tactile system that can detect pressure by touch in a similar way to the human nervous system. The technology has the potential to restore lost functionality to patients after a stroke, as well as enhance interactions between humans and robots.
SourceUppsala University·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 15, 2024
The new metafluid can transition between Newtonian and non-Newtonian states, allowing for programmable viscosity and compressibility. The researchers demonstrated the fluid's capabilities in a hydraulic robotic gripper, picking up objects of varying weights without crushing them.
SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalNature·DateApr 3, 2024
A temperature-sensitive prosthetic limb has been developed to improve amputee interactions and feelings of human connection. Researchers have created a device called MiniTouch that provides realistic and real-time thermal feedback, enabling amputees to discriminate between objects of different temperatures and materials.
SourceSant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa·JournalMed·TypeCase study·DateFeb 9, 2024
A self-healing elastomer forms the flexible membrane of the gripper, which can heal from scratches and punctures in approximately nine minutes. The gripper's design enables recyclability, allowing for a sustainable option for universal grippers and soft robotics.
SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalAdvanced Intelligent Systems·DateNov 24, 2023
Researchers developed a new 3D inkjet printing system that works with a wider range of materials, including slower-curing materials. The system utilizes computer vision to automatically scan the print surface and adjust the amount of resin deposited in real time.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalNature·DateNov 15, 2023
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.
A new technology enables the printing of complex robots with soft, elastic, and rigid materials in one go. This allows for the creation of delicate structures and parts with cavities as desired.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a robotic gripping device that can handle ultrasoft, ultrathin, and heavy objects with excellent balance of strength, precision, and gentleness. The design uses kirigami and can be fabricated from biodegradable materials.
SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 2, 2023
Researchers at UC San Diego developed a robotic hand that can rotate objects solely through touch without relying on vision. The system uses low-cost, binary signals from multiple sensors to detect object contact and perform precise rotations.
ROSE, a novel soft gripping robotic gripper, boasts remarkable durability, scalability and effectiveness in handling fragile objects, with potential applications in harvesting, sorting and cluttered environments.
SourceJapan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology·DateJul 14, 2023
Researchers at the University of Cambridge designed a soft robotic hand that can grasp a range of objects using passive movement and tactile sensors. The hand successfully grasped 11 of 14 objects in tests, including a peach, computer mouse, and roll of bubble wrap, demonstrating its ability to predict when it might drop an object.
SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalAdvanced Intelligent Systems·DateApr 11, 2023
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.
Researchers developed a robotic finger with high-resolution sensors that capture data along the entire length of each finger. The three-fingered robotic hand can identify objects after just one grasp, with 85% accuracy, using tactile sensing and machine-learning algorithms.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·DateApr 3, 2023
Researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design developed a new reconfigurable workspace soft robotic gripper that can pick and place a wide range of consumer items. The RWS gripper's adaptive capabilities make it particularly useful in logistics and food industries where robotic automation is crucial.
SourceSingapore University of Technology and Design·JournalSoft Robotics·DateJan 10, 2023
A team of researchers developed a new method for 3D-printing microrobots with multiple component modules inside the same microfluidic chip. The 'assembly line' approach allowed for the combination of various modules, such as joints and grippers, into a single device. This innovation may help realize the vision of microsurgery performed...
SourceOsaka University·JournalScience Robotics·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 16, 2022
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.
Researchers developed a compact robotic finger with adjustable stiffness to withstand physical impacts and mimic human finger dexterity. The finger mechanism is based on gear transmission and mechanically passive compliance, providing an advantage in terms of reliability, ease of manufacture, and maintenance.
SourceHigher Education Press·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 24, 2022
Researchers designed a soft, jellyfish-like gripper that uses entangled tentacles to grasp and hold heavy, oddly shaped objects. The gripper's strength comes from its ability to entangle itself with the object, increasing the hold with each contact.
SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 21, 2022
Researchers at Harvard University have developed inflatable actuators that can bend, twist, and move in complex ways using origami-inspired designs. The actuator's bistable origami blocks allow it to perform up to eight different motions with a single pressure source.
SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·DateJul 15, 2022
MIT researchers develop an interactive design pipeline enabling users to create customized robotic hands with tactile sensors. The platform streamlines the process, allowing users to adjust palm and fingers and integrate tactile sensors, resulting in complex tasks like picking delicate items or using tools being performed flawlessly.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·DateMay 25, 2022
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.
Researchers developed a novel wearable soft robotic armband that conveys artificial sensations of touch to prosthetic hands, enabling users to control multiple grasp functions simultaneously. The study showed improved time efficiency and precision in transporting objects, with haptic feedback being crucial for tasks.
SourceFlorida Atlantic University·JournalScientific Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 11, 2022
Researchers developed soft manipulators based on pneu-nets, mimicking biological systems like elephant trunks and octopus tentacles. These structures can grasp and manipulate soft objects with increased flexibility.
SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Reviews·DateDec 21, 2021
Researchers at Stanford University have created a robotic hand with a gecko-inspired grip that can handle both delicate and heavy objects. The 'farmHand' gripper uses gecko-adhesive pads and has a unique finger design to enable both dexterity and strength.
SourceStanford University·JournalScience Robotics·DateDec 15, 2021
The 'Rolling Fingers' robotic hand can move objects in a single grasp without needing two arms, simplifying tasks for robots. Its adaptive fingers and rotating skin enable safe manipulation of non-rigid objects, making it suitable for industrial and clinical applications.
SourceUniversity of Malaga·JournalIEEE Robotics and Automation Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 10, 2021
A partially-compliant robot hand using a Crossed Flexural Hinge (CFH) was developed to increase lifting power while minimizing damage in collisions. The CFH-jointed robot hand demonstrated 46.7% more shock absorption than a pin joint-oriented robotic hand and could hold objects weighing up to four kilograms.
SourceDGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology)·JournalSoft Robotics·DateMay 28, 2021
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.
A novel soft tactile sensor with skin-comparable characteristics has been developed for robots, allowing them to grasp fragile objects and thread needles. The sensor decouples external forces into normal and shear components, providing accurate measurements.
SourceCity University of Hong Kong·JournalScience Robotics·DateMar 1, 2021
Researchers have designed a smart electronic skin and medical robotic hand that can assess vital diagnostic data using a newly invented rubbery semiconductor with high carrier mobility. The material is scalable for manufacturing and retains electrical performance even when stretched by 50%.
SourceUniversity of Houston·JournalScience Advances·DateSep 16, 2020
A new robot hand with a dynamic grip can adjust its stiffness to absorb shocks, keeping objects intact during collisions. This technology is valuable for industries like automotive and electronics packaging, enhancing worker safety and machine performance.
SourceUniversity at Buffalo·JournalIEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics·DateSep 12, 2019
Researchers develop new approach combining individual finger control and automation to improve grasping and manipulation for amputees. The technology uses machine learning and sensor data to interpret user intention and automate object grasp.
SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalNature Machine Intelligence·DateSep 11, 2019
Researchers at Stanford University have developed an electronic glove with sensors that can detect pressure intensity and direction, allowing a robotic hand to perform tasks like lifting eggs and handling delicate objects without crushing them. The technology has potential applications in robot-assisted surgery and other fields where p...
SourceStanford University·JournalScience Robotics·DateNov 21, 2018
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.
An interdisciplinary team is creating a living pathway from the robot's touch sensation to the user's brain to help amputees control the robotic hand. The researchers aim to regenerate the sensation of touch in an artificial limb using living residual neural pathways.
Researchers at the University of Houston have developed a new form of stretchable electronics that can serve as an artificial skin, allowing a robotic hand to sense temperature differences. The breakthrough enables the creation of biomedical devices such as health monitors and medical implants with improved functionality.
SourceUniversity of Houston·JournalScience Advances·DateSep 13, 2017
A company's failed attempt to bring jamming-based robotic gripper technology to market provides valuable insights into the challenges of product development and commercialization. The authors share their research and product design efforts, highlighting key factors that influenced customer purchasing decisions.
SourceMary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News·JournalSoft Robotics·DateJan 16, 2017
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.
Researchers have created a three-fingered soft robotic hand with embedded optical sensors, allowing it to detect forces of less than a tenth of a newton and determine where its fingertips are in contact. The new stretchable optical sensing material could be used in a soft robotic skin for even more feedback.
Engineers at MIT have developed a model that predicts the force needed for robotic grippers to adjust their grasp on an object by interacting with the environment. This approach, called extrinsic dexterity, enables robots to perform more complex maneuvers without needing expensive and complex hand designs.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·DateAug 4, 2015