soft robotic gripper

Researchers have unveiled a new soft robotic gripper and demonstrated its dexterity by picking up tricky everyday items such as rubber ducks and screwdrivers. The flexible design allows the hand-like device to grasp objects of varying shapes, sizes and materials without crushing them, a long-standing challenge in robotics for handling delicate or irregular items.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore's College of Design and Engineering report that a single artificial muscle can drive dexterous motion in soft robots. The finding, announced via a science news release, suggests simplified actuator designs could make soft robotic systems cheaper and easier to build, with potential uses in grippers, medical devices and adaptable machines.