Post date: 26-Jan-2011 03:20:10
German researchers have built an anthropomorphic robot hand that can endure collisions with hard objects and even strikes from a hammer without breaking into pieces. The device mimics the human hand’s shape and size and its ability to change stiffness and absorb shocks. IEEE Spectrum spoke to Markus Grebenstein, a roboticist at the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, to find out how he and his colleagues built what might be the most robust robot hand yet.