3D-printed robotic hands versus Nintendo’s Phantom Hands: who will win?

A team of researchers from the University of Maryland (MD, USA) have developed a 3D-printed soft robotic hand able to play Super Mario Bros. on Nintendo’s (Kyoto, Japan) Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), paving the way for robotic prostheses. The field of soft robotics revolves around the creation of flexible and inflatable robots, powered utilizing water or air rather than electricity. These robots possess an inherent safety and adaptability over traditional robotics, which makes them ideal for prosthetic applications and biomedical devices. However, fluid dynamics make it difficult to control the movement of these robots. The team at the University of...