Feature

The most sensitive and durable robot hand yet created

When Google DeepMind wanted a robotic hand for its latest project in AI machine learning, it turned to Shadow Robot. This latest creation isn’t just one of the most sensitive and dexterous robotic hands yet created, but it’s sufficiently robust to endure impacts that have destroyed previous designs.

07/01/2025 10:44:08

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Throughout human history, the role played by our hands cannot be understated. From pre-historic manhandling the earliest tools, to the precision demonstrated by modern-day surgeons, this dexterity is based on a limb that comprises 27 bones and over 30 muscles, guided by perhaps the most ‘human’ of all organs: the brain.

This complexity makes a robotic hand highly challenging to control. In the world of robotics, there’s no higher level than the fine motor skills required to grasp and manipulate objects with precise speed and force.

Meanwhile, companies like Google DeepMind are pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence (AI) and are trying to understand what machines can learn, both to broaden the spectrum of practical possibilities and to guide research. When Google DeepMind wanted to expand machine learning in the complex field of robotic hands, it came across a video of one such model learning how to complete a Rubik’s cube quickly.

Read the full article in DPA's January 2025 issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.