Meet the CHUGBOT: Robotic hand that can catch a beer and crush it could revolutionize prosthetics

Scientists have developed what could turn out to be the most lifelike robotic prosthetic hand yet. The technology, developed by researchers from Cornell University, takes a page from the machinery used in a car to give the robotic arm dexterity that's comparable to a human. And to demonstrate this, the hand was able to nimbly catch a can of beer and even crush it with remarkable strength. Researchers created a life-like robotic prosthetic hand that uses a'transmission' to allow it to alternate between strength and speed. The transmission, which they call an elastomeric passive transmission, is essentially a cylindrical spool with a'tendon' wrapped around it.