CSAIL researchers have discovered that the solution may be to turn to a substance more commonly associated with new buildings and Silly Putty: silicone.

 At a conference this month, researchers from CSAIL Director Daniela Rus’ Distributed Robotics Lab demonstrated a 3-D-printed robotic hand made out of silicone rubber that can lift and handle objects as delicate as an egg and as thin as a compact disc.

Soft robots represent an intriguing new alternative. However, one downside to their extra flexibility (or “compliance”) is that they often have difficulty accurately measuring where an object is, or even if they have successfully picked it up at all.

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