A 16-year-old student from the UK has created a robotic arm that replicates the natural movements of a human hand, using only ready-made parts from the Lego Mindstorms set.
A 16-year-old student from the UK has created a robotic arm that replicates the natural movements of a human hand, using only ready-made parts from the Lego Mindstorms set.
The structure can grip, bend, and adapt to different shapes, all thanks to two small Lego motors, writes Interesting Engineering.
Student Jared Lepore's project is a playful interpretation of a serious line of robotics research. It is based on the Pisa/IIT SoftHand model, a world-leading development in soft robotics that uses a single tendon system to synchronize finger movements.
Jared adapted this concept for educational purposes, replacing the 3D-printed parts and metal bearings with standard beams, rods, gears, and over 100 plastic Lego bearings.
The result is a tendon-controlled, four-fingered hand that can open and close using antagonistic pairs of tendons (one set for flexion, the other for extension) controlled by a simple programmable block.
Despite its toy origins, the Lego SoftHand performs remarkably well. Lab tests have shown that it can grip objects with about 90% of the force of a professional 3D-printed SoftHand, and perform open-close cycles in about one second.
Thanks to the "soft synergy" mechanism, implemented using Lego friction gears that evenly distribute movement between the fingers, her fingers automatically adapt to objects of different shapes - from balls to cups.
The design was completely recreated using household tools and parts from robotics educational kits, making it one of the most accessible demonstrations of soft robotics principles to date.
“Our goal was to show that advanced robotics concepts can be taught using everyday materials. By building these systems themselves, students can literally experience how adaptive grip works,” said Nathan F. Lepora, the student’s father, who is a professor of robotics and artificial intelligence at the University of Bristol.
