Tiny things are cool and these are some very tiny linear actuators. I first saw the Firgelli actuators at Robonexus and have been keeping an eye on them ever since. They are starting to sell some of their first models now. I get images of teeny tiny little robot arms with teeny tiny little grippers in my head when I think about these actuators.

An artificial hand built in the UK has fingertip sensors that let it grasp delicate objects without crushing or dropping them.

A previous prototype has proved itself capable of grappling with door keys and twisting the lid off a jar (see New robot hand is even more human). The latest incarnation not only moves more like a real hand but also has improved sense of touch

Check out the video!
“We’ve added new arrays of sensors that allow it to sense temperature, grip-force and whether an object is slipping,� says Neil White, an electronic engineer at Southampton University who developed the hand with colleagues Paul Chappell, Andy Cranny and Darryl Cotton.

Link via TechNudge

–Development Ideas–
For those developers out there who want to add finger or toe touch sensors to their robots and don’t have piles of grant money in the closet check out these low cost FSR analog touch sensors.