Stem News: New robot has a human touch

A group from Cornell University has recently published a research paper explaining new innovations for soft robotic hands. The group, lead by a Robert Shepard, believes that using stretchable optical waveguides to act like force sensors. This will help robotic hands be able to apply the same amount of force that a human might on an item. Now unlike most robots that have sensors outside their “bodies”, this hand will have sensors inside the structure. While this won’t affect me personally, I know of several people missing hands and arms that would benefit from this if it later becomes possible to implant functioning cybernetics like in “Star Wars”. I believe that this research is important and should be expanded.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161212134605.htm