Meet the CHUGBOT: Robotic hand that can catch a beer and crush the empty can 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.

The secret to the robot hand's human strength and speed is a 'transmission' located inside the device.

Like most of the hand, the transmission is 3D-printed, allowing it to be lightweight and, perhaps most importantly, cheap.

The transmission design is pretty simple. It's essentially a cylindrical spool with a 'tendon' in the hand wrapped around it.

The spool is made out of a flexible material so that it can expand and widen, giving it greater ability to control speed and strength.

For example, when the tendon is loosened, the cylinder is wider, allowing it to move more quickly.

If the tendon is tightened, the cylinder becomes thinner, giving it greater strength.

The transmission is also triggered by sensors in the hand's fingertips, which are able to detect the force of objects, as well as how close they are.

The researchers call their transmission device an elastomeric passive transmission (EPT).

Current robotic prosthetic devices require engineers to choose between speed or strength.

For example, when the tendon is loosened, the cylinder is wider, allowing it to move more quickly.

If the tendon is tightened, the cylinder becomes thinner, giving it greater strength.

The transmission is also triggered by sensors in the hand's fingertips, which are able to detect the force of objects, as well as how close they are.

The researchers call their transmission device an elastomeric passive transmission (EPT).

Current robotic prosthetic devices require engineers to choose between speed or strength.

What's more, the systems can be costly, with robotic prosthetic hands costing an upwards of $10,000, and parts that control preciseness adding onto the already expensive price tag.

'The benefits of elastomeric transmission systems are that they can be 3D printed quickly (50 per hour), cheaply (<$1 per part), and in many compact form factors,' according to the study.

They estimate that the hand, parts and all, could be built for less than $500.

The researchers believe they've solved that problem by enabling the device to autonomously switch between the two using the transmission.

'Current prosthetics rely on high-quality motors to achieve adequate precision, force, and speed in a small enough form factor with the trade-off of high cost,' according to the study.

'We present a simple, compact, and cost-effective continuously variable transmission produced via projection stereolithography.

'We integrated six of these EPTs into a three-dimensionally printed soft prosthetic hand with six active degrees of freedom,' it continues.

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