MIT Built a Squishy Gel Hand That Can Catch a Fish
Some of the world's oldest and most recognizable robots are hands. Not necessarily the Terminator's titanium skeleton claw, but rather the robotic hands employed in manufacturing environments to grab objects, frequently with only two or three fingers. These are widely used throughout the world, and the most of us have seen them.
These robot hands have a history of being quite hazardous.
Regardless of what they were intended for, they have a strong grip. A chess-playing robot once broke a 7-year-old opponent's finger. A robot with a far kinder touch has been created through soft robotics. Similar to the gripping necrospider bot, MIT researchers used delicate hydrogel robots that can safely capture a fish while it is swimming without injury. It's like receiving a hug from a squid with flabby arms.
The hydrogel hand is made of pliable materials that are 3D printed to the required size and shape. The hydrogel hand, as its name suggests, is primarily made of water. The fingers can extend out and expand when water is injected into them, after which they can be opened and closed. The robot's softness and water content make it well suited for delicate duties, and catching the fish served as sort of a proof-of-concept demonstration that it is capable of such work.
