This LEGO hand can grip like a real 1
A 16-year-old's LEGO MINDSTORMS robotic hand, the Educational SoftHand-A, can match about 90% of the grip strength of expensive research hands.
Built on the Pisa/IIT SoftHand design, it is inspired by the single tendon system but uses antagonistic tendon pairs and a differential mechanism to move its fingers—pretty impressive for something made mostly from LEGO.
How it works
With just two motors, this hand controls 12 joints across four fingers.
It uses tendons that copy how real muscles work and a clever LEGO gearbox to let the fingers adjust their grip based on what they're holding.
The result? Movements that look and feel surprisingly lifelike.
Why it matters
Created by Jared K. Lepora, this project proves you don't need fancy parts or a big budget to build cool robotics.
It's a win for students and teachers everywhere—making real engineering way more accessible and maybe even inspiring more young people to dive into STEM.