A robotic hand developed at EPFL can pick up 24 different objects with human-like movements that emerge spontaneously, thanks to compliant materials and structures rather than programming. When you ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Journalist, analyst, author, podcaster. We’ve digitized sight, and we’ve digitized sound. But touch, one of the most important ...

Programmable matter and robotic systems represent a dynamic frontier in materials science and robotics, where discrete, often modular units are designed to change their physical properties and ...

Inspired by the effortless way humans handle objects without seeing them, engineers have developed a new approach that enables a robotic hand to rotate objects solely through touch, without relying on ...

What has opposable thumbs and is the most dexterous tool on the planet? The human hand, obviously. Well … not anymore. At least according to engineers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne’s ...

Folding structures are widely used in robot design as an intuitive and efficient shape-morphing mechanism, with applications explored in space and aerospace robots, soft robots, and foldable grippers ...

Researchers have developed a method for creating musculoskeletal robots using programmable lattice structures that combine soft and rigid mechanics within a single material, enabling lifelike movement ...

Fast and complex multi-finger movements generated by the hand exoskeleton. Credit: Shinichi Furuya When it comes to fine-tuned motor skills like playing the piano, practice, they say, makes perfect.