Watch This Remotely-Operated Robot Thread A Needle

Replicating human movement is an engineering challenge, and robots are slowly getting better at delicate movement all the time. A research team funded by Disney has constructed a remotely operated robot sensitive enough to thread a needle and move an egg without breaking it. The research team, which includes researchers from Northeastern University, The Catholic University of America and Disney Research Pittsburgh have created a new type of system for movement, using air and water. This configuration "achieves the high stiffness of a water-filled transmission with half the number of bulky hydraulic lines." After developing this system, the team constructed a humanoid robot that could be controlled by an operator, who can use the arms to perform some delicate tasks, such as play the xylophone, pick up eggs and thread needles.