Bristol,UK | October 27,2025 | SKY LINK TIMES
Lego Robotic SoftHand:
A 16-year-old student from Bristol, Jared K. Lepora, has astonished the global robotics community by creating a fully functional Lego Robotic SoftHand from Lego parts that performs almost as well as professional research models.The project, named Educational SoftHand-A, was built using LEGO MINDSTORMS components and guided by Jared’s father, Dr. Nathan F. Lepora from the University of Bristol. Their open-access study, published on arXiv, showcases how simple educational kits can deliver cutting-edge robotics performance.
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Inspired by World-Class Robotics
The design draws inspiration from the Pisa/IIT SoftHand, a world-renowned soft robotics project known for its single-tendon system that mimics the synchronized motion of human fingers.
Instead of complex metal parts and 3D-printed components, Jared’s design uses over 100 standard Lego elements — beams, rods, gears, and plastic bearings — to create a tendon-driven robotic hand with four fingers capable of flexing and grasping objects naturally.
The Lego Robotic SoftHand operates with two compact motors that control antagonistic tendons (one to flex, one to extend), achieving both speed and strength.
Remarkable Precision from Plastic Bricks
Despite being built from toy components, the Educational SoftHand-A achieves around 90% of the gripping force of a professional-grade SoftHand and completes open–close movements in about one second.
Thanks to its soft-synergy mechanism and Lego clutch gears, the hand automatically adapts to various object shapes — from smooth balls to cylindrical cups — demonstrating advanced tactile adaptability.
This project makes soft robotics education accessible to anyone with a Lego robotics kit and household tools, bridging the gap between classroom learning and research-grade experimentation.
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A Bridge Between Play and Innovation
As Lego prepares to discontinue its iconic Mindstorms line, the project stands as a fitting tribute to one of the most influential STEM learning tools of recent decades.
The authors describe the project as “a playful yet serious demonstration” of how engineering curiosity and hands-on creativity can lead to genuine innovation.
> “Learning about robotic hands through building them with our own hands seems a particularly apt way to engage with this technology,” the study notes.
This teenage innovation exemplifies how accessible materials, mentorship, and imagination can merge to inspire the next generation of roboticists.
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